


Meeting Emrys

by Dragon_Writer1496



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: F/M, Friendship, Good Morgana (Merlin), Good and Evil, Identity Reveal, Love, Magic Revealed, Powerful Merlin (Merlin), Powerful Morgana
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-23
Updated: 2020-12-15
Packaged: 2021-03-07 15:48:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 27,661
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26610118
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dragon_Writer1496/pseuds/Dragon_Writer1496
Summary: Merlin's magic was found out and as such he was put to death by beheading on Uther's command- Arthur and the others, despite their efforts, could do nothing to stop it. Three years later, the magic Kingdom of Fae'Lin has risen in the area between Camelot and Cenred's land and Uther is not pleased. He wishes to have this land eradicated, but Arthur is uncertain, having lost faith in his father since Merlin's death. Arthur travels with his knights to this new land in order to set up a peace treaty before Uther's rage and hatred causes something that can't be undone, but who and what he finds there surprises him. Will he be able to survive in a land filled entirely with magic users, and what will happen when he finally meets their King and ruler- Lord Emrys?******Takes place after Morgana turned dark but before Uther's death (and he doesn't fall ill/catatonic). Lancelot is alive, as is Elyan. Gwaine is a knight. Arthur and Gwen are in love but not together because of Uther.I tried to keep the language and speech sounding like olden times, but I don't think I entirely succeeded. Still. I hope you enjoy it none the less. Expect time jumps because Woo!
Relationships: Gwen/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Merlin/Morgana (Merlin)
Comments: 34
Kudos: 181





	1. Chapter 1

Morgana had felt the moment Emrys had been removed from the world. It was an odd feeling, one that filled her with both sadness and joy- one because of the simple relief of no longer needing to look over her shoulder, and the other because of the pure horror at losing someone so powerful. Many magic users amongst her people cried out in pain and fear as the echo of the loss reached far and wide throughout the lands, touching each of them in different ways. It was a moment that she would never forget.

Neither was the one when the power returned.

Morgana sat up straight in her bed with a gasp, a thin sweat coating her body. She rubbed at her face and pushed back her hair, trying to breathe correctly as the feeling of pure anger and betrayal hit her. The power was incredible and filled Morgana with a heat that made her want to burn everything around her. She sighed, and placed her face in her hands, trying to once more control herself, for she seemed to be shaking. The power was much closer now than it had been when it had left. This realization gave the Priestess pause, and she slowly removed her hands and looked around. There was a large opening in her room, a place that had once held perhaps a doorway to a balcony before the castle had crumbled into the ruined state that she had found it in. Sitting there, legs hanging over the side, was a man, and beside him was Aithusa. He had one hand raised and was stroking the white scales of her head as he looked out over the land. He was young and appeared nothing like the old man Morgana had faced many times, but there was no denying the power that was coming from him. This was Emrys.

“I’m sorry to intrude on you Morgana,” he said, and Morgana stiffened at the sound of his voice. She knew that voice. Slowly the man turned to look at her and Morgana couldn’t stop the gasp as her eyes connected with those dark blue ones.

“Merlin?” she whispered, unable to get her voice to be any louder. He smiled and nodded before turning to look back out at the snow-covered grounds.

“Yes,” he said, his voice sad. “I’m very sorry... I... I did not know where else to go.”

Morgana wanted to be angry, she wanted to blast him from the room and have him fall to his death. His second death. But there was something in his voice, in the way it cracked over his apology and open admission of not knowing what to do that changed her mind. She climbed off the bed and walked over to him, sitting beside him on the stone, and turned her head to scrutinize him. He let her do so, turning to look at her as she did. He appeared tired, the kind of tired that when you see it, it makes you feel so as well. Deep, nearly black, circles sat under his blue eyes that were rather blood shot. His hair was a mess and seemed to have gained some gray strands amongst the black, that was off setting his even paler skin in such a way that appeared sickly. As Morgana’s eyes traveled down to this wardrobe- which was a gray shirt with black pants instead of his usual blue and brown, her eyes stopped at his neck, where she could now see a thin red line that seemed to go all the way around. She reached out and let her fingers brush against the line, feeling the raised and enflamed edge of it. She then looked back up, feeling sympathy for the man in front of her.

“Arthur?” she asked. He winced slightly at the name before shaking his head.

“Not directly,” he whispered, “Though… I suppose his reaction did not help the situation.”

“What happened?” she asked, and Merlin sighed, causing Aithusa to whimper and lay her head on his lap. He smiled down at the white dragon before turning to look at Morgana.

“I have magic. I’ve always had magic, ever since I was born. It’s why my mother sent me to Camelot, to Gaius.” He said and then his eyes became sad, “I am sorry that I never told you. There were so many times that I wanted to, but….”

“Your self-preservation won out?” Morgana surmised and Merlin simply nodded.

“After that, you became so angry and I… I just couldn’t anymore.”

“Then why tell me now?” she asked, feeling that she wasn't really angry, but honestly curious. He paused and thought about it.

“I guess… because there isn’t a point in hiding it anymore.” He said, “Everyone thinks I’m dead, so what do I have to lose?”

Morgana chuckled slightly.

“That is one way to see it, but you have not finished telling me what happened.” She reminded and he nodded.

“I’m sure you’ve made the connection as to who I am, but I will tell you anyway. I am Emrys, the last Warlock of the land and saviour of the Druids,” Merlin paused and laughed slightly, “The title makes me sound so important… that’s not something I’m use to. But… I suppose that title is where everything starts. A group of magic users came to Camelot to kill Uther and Arthur, in a way, they were doing it because they believed it would bring about my return or something close to it. There were too many of them for the knights to handle and they were about to truly kill Arthur, so I lashed out with my magic. Everyone saw, even Uther. At first, I thought that they would be grateful, but it was a foolish thought. Arthur did not seem to know what to think, and Uther… Well, he made up his mind a long time ago on how he felt about your kind…. Our kind.”

Morgana couldn’t help but smile at the inclusion Merlin was giving to himself. She had the feeling that it had been a long time since Merlin had really considered himself a part of the magic community.

“Uther demanded my imprisonment, and-”

“Arthur did nothing?” Morgana guessed.

“Well, no,” Merlin said, “He was stunned for sure, but once he got his head back, he did try to stop it, but… there was little he could do. There was little any of them could do.”

“There were more people who tried to help?” Morgana asked and Merlin nodded.

“Gwen tried, as did some of the men Arthur had invited into the castle such a Percival and Elyan. Gaius tried as well, along with Gwaine and even Leon- which I did not expect.”

Morgana felt some of her rage rise inside her at all the names Merlin was listing off. There were so many that came to his aid, and she couldn’t help but wonder why they hadn't come to hers.

“It is because you tried to kill each of them Morgana,” Merlin said with a smile, “People do not like it when you try to kill them.”

“I only did that because they choose Uther’s side!” Morgana insisted and Merlin turned to her. He reached out and placed his hand over hers, causing her stomach to knot up at the sudden contact.

“No Morgana, they choose Arthur’s side,” he said, “Much the same way I did. You have to remember Morgana, most people born in Camelot are raised under the same hatred and fear of magic that Uther has.”

“They still sided against me,” she said, and he nodded.

“But only after you made your intentions of conquest known.” He replied, “I’m not saying that either party was right or wrong, I just believe that if there had been more communication, things could have gone differently.”

“Not everything can be solved with diplomacy Merlin!” Morgana snapped.

“Perhaps, but there is never a harm in trying before attacking.”

Morgana shook her head.

“I wish I could see things as simply as you do Merlin,” she whispered, more to herself than to him really, but he smiled and shrugged a shoulder, pulling his hand from hers as he looked out to the snowy grounds.

“Maybe someday you will.” He said, voice cautious if not hopeful. She turned and raised an eyebrow.

“So, you’re telling me that you would rather have Uther remain alive and unharmed after chopping your head off?” She asked.

Merlin pursed his lips.

“Alive? Yes,” he answered and then looked at Morgana with an odd gleam in his eyes, “Unharmed? I don’t believe he will remain that way for long.”

“Ha!” Morgana barked, “So you will do something?”

“Not exactly,” he said. “I may not have died for real, but there was a good few hours there that I wasn’t fully in the world, and people within the magic community felt that.”

“Understatement,” Morgana muttered.

“I do not believe that you nor I will have to do anything to Uther,” Merlin said, “Though every magic user also felt my return, the fact that someone had tried to kill me to begin with probably won’t sit well. I don’t wish anyone to fight, but if people want to start giving Uther a hard time, I will no longer be the one to stop them.”

Morgana smiled but gave Merlin a look.

“And what about Arthur?” she asked and watched his face fall slightly.

“I… I do not wish to see him harmed.” He said.

“Merlin, you said yourself that he didn’t help the situation.” She insisted, placing one hand on his shoulder. The butterflies returned to her stomach; little did she know that they were also in Merlin’s.

“I know, but… I do truly believe that if it had been anyone besides his father seeking my life, he would have done anything to stop it,” he insisted, looking at Morgana with such intense eyes that she knew he believed it. “In the end Morgana, I’m not like you when it comes to my opinion of Arthur… I believe he’s an idiot, but I don’t believe he should be blamed or held responsible for Uther’s actions- and, given the opportunity to see Magic as something other than the evil his father has claimed it to be- he could be the one to unite the land and end all this conflict.”

Morgana sighed and shook her head, looking out over the fields.

“You’re such an optimist Merlin, it’s kind of irritating.” She muttered.

“Someone has to balance out your pessimism,” he muttered back, and Morgana laughed slightly. She was finding that the anger she had felt before, though minimal as it was, didn’t exist anymore. Morgana felt as though everything finally made sense. She had always been drawn to Merlin and she never understood why- now she did, and it just made everything better. Still, there was no denying their differences.

“What will you do now?” she asked, and Merlin sighed.

“I can’t exactly go back to Camelot, much as I may want to. I also don’t believe I can just leave either.” He said, and then turned his head to the side. “I want to be a part of what and who my people are. I wasn’t much involved when I lived in Ealdor- my mother was too protective for that, and the past years I’ve been too busy pretending and hiding. With everything out in the open now, I think I want to start something new, create a place where people like you and I can live in peace and not worry.”

Morgana sighed.

“I don’t believe that is possible Merlin,” she said.

"Is that not what you are seeking?" he asked, and she turned to him, feeling a little ashamed.

"It was at first, but now," she began, only to sigh heavily and shake her head before turning to look out over the land. "I do not know what I am trying to do. I want my kingdom- my home back, but I do not see a way to make it the peaceful place you are speaking of."

“Perhaps you only believe that because you haven’t considered any other way,” he said, drawing her eyes to him. “Or perhaps it is because you have been trying to do it alone. Think about it, Morgana. Imagine the type of place, the type of kingdom, that you and I could create if we only tried.” Morgana raised an eyebrow and even leaned back as she looked at Merlin.

“You are quite brazen,” she said, “I just find out that you have magic and now you want to form a kingdom together?”

Merlin laughed and shook his head. Morgana was surprised by the confidence he was emanating. The Merlin she knew before was always bumbling and awkward, but now, even in the simple way that he scoffed at her words, there was a sureness about him. Perhaps having his secret exposed allowed him to truly become himself, much the same way it had for Morgana.

_Is this truly who I am?_ Morgana thought, and for not the first time felt a heavy weight of sadness fall upon her.

“I don’t mean it like that Morgana,” he said, drawing her attention back. “I just mean… We are both powerful, we could do a lot of good. I know the people, and you know about ruling and how to manage the classes- I’m not saying it will be something big, but it could be a home for a lot of people who don’t have one. This is something we could do.”

Morgana shook her head.

“I will rule no other kingdom than Camelot,” she said, and Merlin turned his head slightly, his eyes staring at her with a sad intensity.

“And what would happen if you fail?” Morgana turned and met his eyes. They were striking against the paleness of his skin and the dark circles.

“I won’t,” she stated.

Merlin smiled and nodded before looking down at Aithusa and rubbing her head.

“You doubt me?” she asked, and Merlin turned to look at her.

“I wouldn’t be that foolish,” he said, “Though I do believe that if you continue down this path, you will fail, and you will die.”

Morgana barked a laugh.

“I am a High Priestess Merlin, I’m about as easy to kill as you are!”

“True, but you still won’t get what you want in this case. Destiny is not on your side Morgana,” he said, and the firmness of his voice left Morgana feeling cold.

“You sound so certain,” she muttered, and Merlin turned his head as he looked over her face. He then lifted his hand and pressed it against her cheek. She stiffened slightly but didn’t pull away. He rubbed his thumb against her skin, and she watched as a small smile came to his face, though his eyes gained a sadness she didn’t understand.

“Do you really believe I would have fought against you so hard if I was not certain?”

The question brought Morgana up short and she was very unsure of how to respond. She looked at his face, feeling as though she was doing that a lot in the short amount of time that she had sat here next to him. Once again, she was stunned; he seemed so different from all the other times she had been with him. Perhaps it was the actual knowledge of who he was, or that his presence somehow seemed bigger than before, or maybe it was the effect of what had happened, but Merlin seemed somehow older- wiser- than before.

“What else am I supposed to do Merlin?” Morgana heard herself ask. It was a question she had had since Morgause had died, for she had felt so lost after the death of her sister. No, not lost, more like trapped.

Merlin’s smile turned bigger and he brought his other hand up to hold her face in them.

“Let go of the anger Morgana,” he said, “It is not getting you anywhere. Let go, move on, and start something that will end up meaning something. Not just to you, but to everyone.”

“And your idea of that is a kingdom filled with magic?” she asked with a small smile of her own. “You honestly expect that to work? You expect Uther to allow that?”

“I didn’t intend to ask for his approval,” he said, dropping his hands, a playful smile on his face. “I want this, and I know it is wanted by others- it will happen, and Uther will have to deal with that or deal with me.”

Morgana laughed slightly.

“That is something I want to see,” she muttered and then looked at Merlin. “Why did you not fight back before? Why did you let him kill you? Did you know you would come back?”

Merlin sighed.

“No, I didn’t know. I assumed, I even hoped I would, but I didn’t know.”

“Then why risk it, Merlin?”

“I may not have known what would happen to me, but I did know that reacting violently would cause problems for everyone else.” He said, “I don’t want the people of Camelot to be afraid of magic, or those who possess it. The only thing that me attacking Uther would have done would have been proving him right and I didn’t want that.”

“Do you think you got what you wanted?” she asked, and Merlin laughed.

“I don’t know, certainly didn’t convince that one guard of anything,” he said, chuckling. “But… I was accused by Uther of great evil, and all I did was warn him of the consequences. I don’t know what that will bring, but I hope it will bring about something.”

“I like that,” Morgana muttered and then paused. “What happened with the guard?”

Merlin laughed again.

“I suppose it is actually more morbid and disturbing than funny. When I… came to, my head was, well… not attached to my body, so I sort of had to pick it up and put it back on, and there was a guard that I didn’t see until everything was attached again. Kind of spooked him.”

“Talk about terrifying,” she muttered, letting out a breath, “What did he do?”

“What you would expect, went screaming into the castle, raving about curses and such,” Merlin muttered with a shrug.

“You’re not worried about that?” she asked, and Merlin mused over the idea.

“Not exactly,” he muttered, “But in the end, it doesn’t really matter.”

“You don’t think that Uther will send people after you?”

“Of course, I do!” He said, “But, in all honesty, I’m kind of looking forward to that.”

Morgana frowned, raising an eyebrow and Merlin laughed.

“It will just be interesting to see how the knights that always called me inconsequential will deal with facing me when I don’t have to hold anything back.” Morgana smiled; now that is something that she really wanted to see.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **TIME JUMP** It has now been three years since Merlin's death and Arthur and his men are on their way to Fae'Lin when they stumble upon something unexpected.**

Arthur and his knights moved through the trees with a practiced stillness, making as little sound as possible as they made their way to the river and the voices that were there. As Arthur crouched amongst the foliage he watched as the group of men, woman, and children played along the riverbank. They were laughing and dancing- children splashing in the water and their fathers yelling at them to stop scaring the fish away. It was a beautiful and simple moment and one that Arthur did not want to interrupt. He was just about to turn and tell his men to keep moving when a trill of laughter filled the air. Arthur turned back to the scene and watched as a group of three woman came from around a bend. They were dressed more elegantly than the others, and many of people stopped and bowed to the group- no, to the woman in the middle.

“Morgana…” Arthur whispered as his eyes landed on the sorceress. It had been nearly three years since he'd seen her- since anyone had even heard a whisper about her. Three years, Arthur thought. That was right about when.... 

Morgana was dressed differently from when he’d last seen her, for instead of the usual black she was wearing a beautiful gown of white and light blue. It hung low on her shoulders, giving way to her almost snow-white skin. Around her neck hung a sapphire stone on a silver chain, and her long black hair was in loose ringlets that flowed over her back like a dark waterfall. As she walked along the bank, acknowledging those who bowed, her eyes were bright with joy and love. Even as Arthur watched, a young boy came running up to her, to which she knelt down, an almost breathtaking smile coming to her face. She chatted with the boy for a moment before taking his hand in hers- Morgana’s eyes flashed gold and when she opened the boys hand a butterfly flew out and landed on his forehead. The giggle the boy gave could be heard from where Arthur hid, and he hugged the sorceress before returning to his family.

“Sire?”

Arthur turned to see all of his knights there, swords already drawn. Gwaine looked about to pounce upon the group waiting below, and Percival and Elyan had stoic faces as they stared at the group of magic users.

“What would you have us do?” Leon asked, drawing Arthur’s attention. The king turned back to the scene, to the woman who was now walking away from the river’s edge, the two woman and now one man following her.

“We-”

Arthur began but didn’t finish. Gwaine launched from the trees and Percival quickly followed, not wanting to disobey his king, but also not wanted to leave his friend to fight alone. The people on the river’s edge all jumped, and Arthur watched as families ran to grab their children, shouting warnings. Morgana spun around, her eyes landing on the two knights who were charging through the water. Arthur thought he would see hatred and perhaps a little joy at having some of the people she’d been wanting to rid herself of show themselves, but instead Arthur saw something he hadn’t seen on Morgana’s face in a long time; regret.

“No!” Arthur shouted, running from the trees. “Stop!”

Morgana’s eyes flashed to him, and he watched as recognition and fear gripped her. She raised her own hands, her own command of “Stop!” dying out as all the knights were suddenly thrown back. Arthur felt something slam into him, knocking the breath from his lungs and leaving his head ringing. He landed against the rocks of the riverbed with a metallic _clang_. Words and shouts came to him as he lay there, his head spinning and his vision starting to fade. As he blinked up at the sky that shown from between the treetops, Morgana’s face suddenly appeared before him. He knew he should run- that he should move and do anything he could to not be captured by her, but his body wouldn’t respond.

“My Queen! He was attacking you!” came a shout that left Arthur’s head with a resounding pain. Morgana shook her head as she then felt along Arthur’s skull. He watched as her eyes flashed gold and at feeling the pain leave, he let out a contented sigh.

“He had every right to attack me Levi- and while I appreciate your efforts to defend us here, you should not have been so rough,” Morgana scolded to the man standing on the other side of Arthur. Morgana turned to look down the river, but at what Arthur couldn’t see.

“Heal the injuries you can and prepare some wagons!” Morgana called, and then turned back to Arthur, her green eyes piercing. “We’ll be taking all of them back to the castle with us.”

With that command Arthur lost the fight with his mind and slipped into the darkness of sleep.

*****

When Arthur first woke up, he wasn’t quite sure where he was. The bed he was lying on was so comfortable, for a moment he thought he might be back home in Camelot. But as the events at the river slowly came back to his mind, he found himself slowly opening his eyes- not wanting too move to fast for fear of hurting any of his injuries.

He was in a rather spacious room. He turned and pulled himself into a sitting position, looking around himself as he did. The bed he was on was like none he’d seen and was even grander than his one at home. The frame was made of black iron, twisted and shaped into growing vines and was hung with deep green curtains. A thick fur blanket lay atop him along with several layers of blue and white linen blankets. He turned to the rest of the room which was somehow both extravagant and subtle. The stone was an off-white color, but with a warm undertone. Portraits of exquisite artistic splendor hung along the walls, along with a deep blue tapestry that was embroidered with silver. The shape of shield sat in the middle, with a white dragon in flight within its boundaries. Vines bordered along the edge of the shield with two crossing items behind it, one was a sword and the other appeared to be a staff.

Arthur pulled back the blankets and rose slowly from the bed, but there really wasn’t a need. There was no pain or stiffness to his muscles. He was dressed in just his trousers and a white cotton shirt, that was soft against his skin as he stretched his arms over his head. He scanned the room and easily found the closet- carved of a dark wood, that held a small desk with a mirror. He walked over to it and looked over his face and head. He remembered hitting it, but there now appeared to be nothing wrong. The fuzzy image of Morgana leaning over him with glowing gold eyes came to his mind, but it made no sense. Why would Morgana heal him?

The sound of clanging metal and shouts drew his attention over to the large window that dominated the far wall of the main room. A large table sat there, with a fireplace on the wall adjacent from the window. Arthur walked over and opened it, peering out over what looked like a training field. Targets of varying sizes sat at one end of the grassy plane, and men and woman were there practicing with swords and bows. What really drew Arthur’s attention was the occasional flash of light from the other end. He turned and watched in disbelief and slight curiosity as several people stood with arms raised conjuring fire and lightning. A few others were surrounded by floating chairs and benches, and one man was even shouting from where he was hovering in the sky for the boy to put him down.

“I am definitely not in Camelot,” Arthur muttered to himself as he pulled the window closed. He turned back to the table and smiled slightly. Across its wooden surface lay not only his armor and tunic, but his bag with other clothes and his sword.

A knock sounded on the door and he quickly drew the sword, hiding it behind his body as he looked toward the set of doors. He may be in a nice room but that didn’t mean he was safe.

“Uh… enter,” Arthur said after a minute and he watched as the door opened and in walked-

“Morgana!” Arthur snapped, now raising his sword.

“Please Arthur!” Morgana insisted, raising her hands in a defensive manner. “I am not here to hurt you.”

Arthur frowned.

“You’re lying!” he insisted, and Morgana sighed a look of slight annoyance coming to her green eyes.

“If I wanted to hurt you don’t you think I would have done it while you were sleeping- or better yet, simply let Levi finish you off down at the river?” she demanded and Arthur pursed his lips as he thought about it. He hated to admit it, but she had a point. Slowly he lowered his sword and looked over the sorceress. It was clearly a different day for her attire had entirely changed. Today she was wearing a deep blue gown that fit her form rather nicely. It had silver embroidering- very similar to the tapestry behind her in fact and Arthur believed that that wasn’t a coincidence. Her hair was partially pulled up and out of face, the top half being help up with braids that travelled along the sides of her head and ended in a intricate bun on the back of her head. The rest of her dark locks hung down her back in small waves. She wore the same sapphire pendant as yesterday, but now Arthur also noticed that there was a stunning ring on her left ring finger as well- though this one held no stone, the silver was so intricately woven that there was no denying its craftsmanship and beauty.

“What are you here for then?” Arthur asked, finally realizing that Morgana had been waiting for him to say something.

She smiled.

“The guards heard you get up and told me you were awake. I came to see if you were alright,” she said, lowering her hands and clasping them in front of her. Arthur wondered if she kept them in view on purpose but was happy she did either way. “We did what we could to heal the injuries Levi’s blast caused- but not all of my people are as skilled in healing magic as I am.”

“I would never guess that you would be skilled in healing magic,” Arthur muttered, and Morgana offered a sad smile.

“Yes, I do suppose much of my recent actions would lead you to believe otherwise, but as a High Priestess of the Old Religion, it is an ability I possess in abundance actually,” she muttered and paused. “In fact, I would say the only one better at it would be Emrys.”

“Emrys?” Arthur asked, stepping forward despite himself at the name.

“Yes,” she said. “The King and ruler of Fae’Lin as well as my husband.”

Arthur blinked and his eyes went back to the ring.

_The man at the river had said “my Queen” so I guess I shouldn’t be too surprised._

“You… you are married?” Arthur finally managed and Morgana’s ensuing smile was so big and joyful that it almost left him breathless.

“Yes, I am.” She said, looking down at the ring herself before looking back up to meet Arthur’s eyes. “It was… unexpected. I did not think that Emrys and I would fit together so well, but he is… rather amazing.”

“I would like to speak with him!” Arthur said suddenly, not wanting to lose sight of the reason he was there, and Morgana nodded.

“What about?” she asked.

“I want to discuss a peace treaty between Fae’Lin and Camelot,” he said, and Morgana’s head tilted slightly.

“While I would never say that there has been great friendship between us, I do not see why a peace treaty would need to be set up,” she said and then her eye brows rose slightly, “Unless you know something that we do not.”

Arthur shook his head.

“There are no attacks or anything of the sort planned if that is what you mean, but,” he paused and looked at Morgana. “But our father’s hatred of magic has not lessened since the arrival of this kingdom and he wishes to ‘remove it from the map.’ His words, not mine.”

Morgana let out a breath and began to rub at her forehead.

“I suppose I should not be surprised by this, but I did hope for something better.” She muttered and took a small step forward, and then continued around the table when Arthur made no move to stop her. She leaned against the tables edge and looked at her brother. “Do you really believe that father would go that far?”

Arthur nodded.

“He has been on quite the war path the last few years, and he does not seem to care who he hurts or what support he loses, and he’s lost a lot. I don’t entirely know how I feel about magic, but I can tell his hatred of it has gotten stronger ever since…” Arthur’s words died out then and his eyes began to sting. It had been more than two years since that day and he still could not bring himself to say the words- it made it too real, and he was not ready for that.

“Ever since Merlin,” Morgana finished for him and as their eyes met, he saw the same sadness that was in his own.

“You know?” he asked, and she nodded.

“I do,” she replied and then looked around the room, her expression contemplative before she turned back to Arthur. “You could say that that event is what brought about all of this.”

“How so?” Arthur asked.

“After what happened, Emrys felt that it was time for those who practiced magic to have a safer place, somewhere they could truly call home.” She said and then chuckled, “Never in our wildest dreams did we think it would be this big, but… once we started, more and more people came. Eventually there was a need for a ruling class and Emrys was called to it without objection… minus his own of course.”

Arthur scoffed.

“Emrys didn’t want to be King?” he demanded. “I thought he was ruler of Druids or something of the sort.”

Morgana nodded.

“He is, but being called to a something does not always mean you want it,” she said, standing up. “While I don’t know about a Peace Treaty needing to be drawn up, I do believe that more discussion about this should occur.” 

“You think he’ll talk with me?” Arthur couldn’t help but ask, after all, Emrys was more or less considered a God to the magic community.

Morgana smiled at him and nodded.

“Emrys is much closer to a man than a god Arthur," she stated and her smile widened when he looked at her with shocked eyes, "And I am sure he would be glad to talk with you, once he returns from his trip which should be before supper tonight.” Morgana then turned to Arthur’s travel bag, opening it up and pulling out the clothes. She easily found the dressier ones- mainly because they were the only nice thing in the bag. “Is this really all you brought?”

“I don’t have much else,” he muttered as he shuffled his feet, and she shook her head, before taking the clothes over the bed and laying them out.

“I suppose they will do for now, but you should see about having some more made while you’re here- we have many fine craftsmen and artisans who can make you something,” she said and then turned to him, where she pursed her lips. “Will you need assistance in getting ready?”

Arthur sighed, his heart sinking slightly at the reminder of his missing friend.

“I would appreciate it, yes,” he said.

She nodded and Arthur watched as her eyes flashed gold.

Arthur stood there in the silence for a moment, unsure of what to say.

“I am sorry,” he said, and Morgana looked up from picking lint off the shirt and raised an eyebrow.

“For what?” she asked, and he sighed, running his hand down his face.

“Where to begin,” he muttered, but then turned to her. “Ever since… since Merlin I’ve begun to realize just how hard being in Camelot with Uther must have been, and I’m sorry that I never… tried to understand what you were experiencing.”

Morgana stood in shock for a moment at Arthur’s words, for that was truly the last thing she’d expected to hear.

“Arthur, it is true that being who I am and living in Camelot was hard, and thank you for trying to understand, but there really is no need for you to apologize.” She said, “Truthfully, I am the one who should apologize to you. Everything I did to you and… to everyone. I had a lot of anger and I did not know how to handle it, and I’m sorry for the damage that I caused.”

Arthur was also stunned by the sorceress’ words and was about to ask her what had changed when the door opened, and a young man came into the room. It was clear that he was a servant, but his clothing, while simple, was of a finer quality than anything a servant in Camelot would wear.

“You called my queen?” the boy said.

“Yes, thank you for coming so fast Aaron,” Morgana said, walking up to him and then spinning him to face Arthur. “This is Prince Arthur Pendragon of Camelot; I would like for you to see to him and his company while they are here. Can you do that for me?”

“Of course, my lady.” He said, turning and bowing to her. “May I ask to enlist the help of Charles and his brothers to assist with his knights?”

“I do not see a problem with that,” Morgana said with a smile. “Are the knights awake?”

“Yes, my Lady, I will send a message to Charles and have him see to their attire,” Aaron said, and his own dark eyes sparkled gold. “It is done, they will be seen to.”

“Thank you!” Morgana replied and then turned to Arthur, “There is more that you and I can discuss before Emrys arrives if you would like, so after you are dressed, Aaron will show you to the council chambers where we can talk more, as well as get something to eat, and perhaps answer some more of your questions.”

“What about my men?” Arthur asked.

“They are welcome to join if you would like them to, but I will leave that up to you,” she said and began to head for the door. “I will see you in a few moments.”

“Wait!” Arthur said, stepping forward and Morgana stopped as she opened the door, turning to him with a questioning look.

“Yes?” she asked.

“What… what happened to you Morgana?” Arthur demanded; truly taken aback by the kind woman he was witnessing. Morgana smiled softly at the question and looked down once more to the ring on her hand before looking back up at him.

“Emrys did,” she answered and then left the room.


	3. Chapter 3

Morgana was not sure what to think of the conversation she had just had. It was certainly nice, for almost every other conversation she’d had with Arthur in the past since learning they were truly brother and sister had been filled with hate, anger and jealousy, but it was also odd. She had expected him to react more violently- with more anger towards her. She’d been prepared to spend most of the conversation calming him down so they could talk, not listening to him apologize to her. As if he actually had anything to apologize for- the faults and actions she was angry at were not his, and despite how much it angered her some days, Merlin was right that being mad at Arthur wasn’t going to solve anything.

Her thoughts continued as she made her way through the halls and to the council chambers, and while she was concerned that Arthur’s kind and forgiving mood towards her would not last, and there were still his knights to deal with. She had a feeling that they would be much less forgiving than her brother. Still, it was more the conversation from the night prior and ensuing secret she was keeping that was really bothering her.

_“Arthur is there?” Merlin had demanded through the scrying mirror the previous night when she’d finally gotten everything settled enough to contact him and let him know what had happened. She found it oddly coincidental that He would be gone when Arthur finally shows up, for Merlin had left three days prior with Kilgarrah after the Golden Dragon had arrived with news that he and Aithusa had managed to have three new eggs. Now all that was needed was for a Dragon Lord to come and call them into the world._

_“Yes, he is, and he is fine!” Morgana had assured him._

_“I am glad to hear that but what about- oof!” Merlin had started to say but didn’t finish as he was then knocked to the ground by a fast-moving smudge of green._

_Morgana couldn’t help but start laughing._

_“I see that the hatching went well?” she chuckled out._

_“You could say that!” Merlin called from somewhere outside the mirrors view. For now, all Morgana could see was the sky above._

_“Ryoko!” Came Aithusa's voice from the other end, sounding powerful and commanding. “Leave the Warlock alone!”_

_The only reply was a high-pitched growl and hiss, followed by the unsteady flapping of wings. Suddenly the image in the mirror moved as Merlin picked it up and Morgana had to turn away in order to not get sick with all the movements._

_“I will be back in a moment!” Merlin shouted and then continued in the Dragon tongue for a moment before letting out a heavy sigh. He took a seat and raised the mirror back up. “Very sorry! Now, what happened exactly?”_

_“What did you tell them to do?” Morgana asked, ignoring his question as she looked back to the man in the mirror. He was a little less refined than he had been three days prior. He hadn’t bothered with his hair and though Merlin had taken to a little more scruff on his face since taking on the full mantel of both Emrys and King, it was a bit longer than usual. His clothes were smudged with dirt and everything seemed a little more wrinkled._

_“To not burn anything. They’ve already managed to burn half the clothes I brought, three berry bushes, and cause a rockslide.” Merlin muttered and ran a hand through his hair, “these little ones are very rowdy.”_

_Morgana laughed._

_“I see that there was a green one you named Ryoko, what about the other two?” she asked, and Merlin smiled, turning to look somewhere the mirror wasn’t showing._

_“There’s another golden male like Kilgarrah that I named Kaidal, and a deep blue female that I named Rowyn.” He replied and then looked back at the mirror, “Now please Morgana, stop avoiding my questions and tell me what happened. How is it Arthur and the knights are there? How many knights are there?”_

_Morgana sighed._

_“I truly do not know much more other than they must have been out hunting and came across a group of our people. There aren’t enough of them, just Arthur’s regular grouping of men, looked like Elyan, Percival, Leon and Gwaine. They attacked while we were down at the river, Levi responded in kind, as did some of the others. I managed to stop them before any major harm could be done, but Arthur and the others were all hurt, and the healing magic knocked them out. I brought them back to the castle so they could rest, and we can figure it all out.”_

_Merlin let out a heavy sigh as he ran a hand over his face._

_“I highly doubt they were hunting, that river is a least a mile into our lands which makes it several leagues away from Camelot,” he muttered. “What I want to know is if they found you by accident or on purpose.”_

_“I am not sure, but I highly doubt they made it this far away from Camelot by simply taking a wrong turn,” she replied._

_“And you were not hurt?” he asked, turning his deep blues to hers. Even through the magic of the mirror, the look still left her breathless._

_“I am fine,” she assured him. “But I do think that you should come back. I am not sure how they will respond to simply dealing with me, regardless of assurances.”_

_“Yes, you are right,” Merlin said, and he began to unconsciously rub at his neck. “I need to be there.”_

_Morgana pressed her lips together, letting her husband think._

_He turned and looked at her through the mirror and smiled._

_“I suppose Arthur and the rest were going to learn I was alive one way or another- having it happen in our kingdom will only be a benefit,” he said._

_“You will come home then?” Morgana asked and he nodded._

_“Yes, I will need to see if Kilgarrah or Aithusa can give me a ride. Even with my abilities, transporting myself that far would leave me exhausted.”_

_“Be honest Merlin!” Morgana scolded, drawing a look of confusion from the man._

_“About what?” he inquired._

_“All you want is to see the look on Arthur’s face when you arrive on Dragon,” she surmised, and Merlin’s mouth turned into a slight pout as he narrowed his eyes._

_“The clot pole could use a little bit of humbling.” He grumbled._

_Morgana laughed as she shook her head._

_“I will be happy to have you home,” she muttered, and Merlin’s face softened._

_“And I will be glad to be home,” he replied, “Given the time and weather, I should be there by supper.”_

_“I shall have something lavish prepared for your homecoming then.”_

_“You always do. I will see you tomorrow my Queen,” Merlin then smiled a wide smile that made his eyes dance. “I love you!”_

_“I love you!” Morgana replied only to stop and sigh. “Merlin?”_

_“What is it Morgana?” he asked, easily sensing her change in mood._

_“How should… what name should I refer to you by in front of Arthur?”_

_Merlin let out a heavy breath._

_“For now, keep using Emrys. He’ll learn the truth when I arrive, but I do not want any confusion happening amongst him or the knights. Make sure the rest of the castle does the same.”_

Morgana groaned slightly and began rubbing at the sides of her head as she rounded the last corner towards the council chambers. She knew why Merlin had wanted to wait till he was home to reveal that he was Emrys but lying to Arthur in such a way made her feel wrong. Like she was going back to her old self, before falling in love with Merlin and seeing the light and error of her ways.

Morgana then laughed to herself.

“How far you’ve come,” she whispered to herself before the guards pushed the doors open.

“Oh!” she said, coming to a stop as she stared at the full table of council members. “I was not aware a meeting had been called.”

The silence that followed her remark made it clear that she was not supposed to have known.

“I see,” she muttered and walked to the head of the table, taking one of the two chairs positioned there. “Perhaps someone can catch me up on the discussion I was not invited to.”

An awkward air now filled the room.

“Uh, my Queen, we did not mean offence,” came a voice from the middle of the table. Morgana turned to the woman who had spoken. She was one of the Druid elders, Maise. She was just a little older than Morgana, with a thin face, dark brown eyes that reminded Morgana of earth, and blonde hair which she currently had in a braid.

“I am certain you didn’t Maise,” Morgana replied to her. “However, I would still like to know what you all have been discussing without me if you please.”

“We were discussing the issue of the Camelot Prince and knights within our walls!”

This comment came from Abraham. He came from Cenred’s lands, and he brought with him his brutish personality. Morgana eyed him, from his greasy brown hair and scraggly beard and blue eyes to his more kempt robes and clothing.

“What about them?” she asked, and though the question was meant for everyone, she kept her gaze locked on Abraham.

“Why are they here?” he demanded.

“Because they needed healing and rest,” she replied.

“They attacked us, and we are giving them hospitality?” Abraham shouted. “Unacceptable!”

“I do not see an issue with them staying here so long as they remain peaceful!” Maise injected, shooting a pointed look at Abraham.

“But how can we trust them to be peaceful?” came another question from one of the older members, Caraise. “This prince is the son of Uther Pendragon; how do we know all of this isn’t a trap?”

“Need I remind all of you that I am the daughter of Uther Pendragon,” Morgana said, causing everyone to slightly lower their heads. No one faulted Morgana for her parentage, but it was also hardly ever brought up.

“There is a difference between you and your brother,” Caraise said, “You have magic, you have been shunned and cast out by Uther, whereas the Prince has continued to be raised and taught by the man. We are worried what influence that has left on him.”

“And what that means for all of us,” Maise said, drawing nods of acknowledgement from the rest of the table..

“While I agree that your worries are valid, I do not want you to become tied up in them. I have spoken with Arthur this morning, and he has told me himself that he wishes seek peace between Fae’Lin and Camelot!” Morgana assured, drawing curious sounds from the people around her. “I do not know what all of that would entail, but I do believe that Arthur is someone who does not want to see unneeded bloodshed among his people or ours.”

“But how can we be sure?” Abraham demanded, filling the room with tension once more. “And even if he does want peace, what about the rest of them. Levi told us how it was the knights who attacked first. And what of his father? I do not believe for one second that Uther Pendragon is seeking peace with us!”

“As I said before, your doubts are valid Abraham, and I promise that they will be addressed. Emrys is on his way back from the Dragons Keep as we speak, and Arthur has agreed to stay and hold a conference with him.”

“The King is coming back?” Maise asked, her face and voice showing her relief.

“Yes, he has promised me that he will be back by-”

Morgana’s words ceased as the windows began to rattle against their frames. Morgana stood from her chair and walked to the nearest window, a smile breaking across her face. She turned back to the council who had all risen from their chairs.

“Our King is back sooner than even he expected. Now please, all of you, return to your homes and do not worry. Everything will be taken care of and, I give my word, no harm will come to anyone.”

With that Morgana left the room, ignoring the questions and comments that were being thrown her way, and headed through the hallways and down the stairs. When Merlin and Morgana had decided that they needed a castle, they made sure to create this exact spot; situated at the back of castle, away from where the town began, there was a large grass area specifically made for the dragons to come and go. Able to fit at least two dragons the size of Kilgarrah, it was rather large, and when the dragons were not there, it was often used for many of their festivals that landed in the warmer seasons. Morgana made it out there, her magic practically throwing the wooden doors off their hinges in her excitement, as the large white dragon was making her last circle before landing. Morgana watched as Aithusa made her way across the sky and was again in awe at how gracefully the dragon made her way down, her white scales shining brilliantly in the afternoon sun.

Aithusa landed easily against the grass, her talons barely tearing up the dirt as she did so- an impressive feat for how big she had gotten in last two years since Merlin had healed her broken body. It was the day Morgana had truly seen Merlin for who he was as Emrys, for the power he had shown was breathtaking. Aithusa’s blue eyes landed on Morgana and the sorceress raced the last of the way to the great beast who was lowering her head to meet her.

“Morgana! It is wonderful to see you!” Aithusa stated and Morgana laughed as the Dragon pressed her nose to Morgana’s head and let out a hot breath, making Morgana’s dress feel heavy against the sudden humidity around her.

“I have missed you my baby dragon!” Morgana trilled. “I was expecting Kilgarrah to be the one to come.”

Aithusa laughed.

“He said that he could watch the children,” she replied, “Give me a small break.”

“As any good husband and father should.”

Morgana’s head snapped around, looking to her left to see Merlin sliding down from Aithusa’s back, landing lightly on her front talons and then finally on the ground.

“You’re back!” she shouted and ran to him, easily jumping into his arms. Merlin caught her and spun her around, laughing as they held each other. Even when Morgana’s feet were back on the ground, he still didn’t release her but instead buried his face in her shoulder, breathing in her familiar scent and revealing in her touch.

“Ah… I missed you!” he breathed, and she laughed.

“You were only gone three days Merlin,” she said, but she had butterflies in her stomach at his words.

“Much too long to be away from your beauty,” he whispered, “Next time you must come with me.”

“And leave the kingdom to run itself?” she mocked and then sighed. “You certainly picked an eventful time to go.”

Merlin did pull away then, placing his hands on either side of her face. The past two years really had wrought their changes on the both of them. Morgana had aged slightly, growing into her power and beauty and even without the official title, she held an air of royalty about her. Though Merlin technically didn’t age, he did look older. The scruff, which he’d managed to trim down since their conversation the night before, made him look more distinguished and versed. He had gotten a scar that ran from his forehead down through his right eye and onto his cheek that also added a little something to his aura. He was wearing black trousers and riding boots, with a light blue cotton shirt that sat snugly against his torso and chest. He wore a long, dark gray leather coat over that, the ends of the sleeves embellished with the same silver patterns as Morgana’s dress. The whole outfit was simple and something that would do well for riding a dragon but also worked for meetings- of which there were no doubt going to be many.

Around Merlin’s waist was a belt that held his weapon- a long sword gifted to him by one of the Druid craftsmen at the start of their endeavor with the inscription in Draconic “I am the light in the darkness” written up the middle. A Sapphire jewel sat on the pommel and Aithusa had forged it in her breath. Merlin had given it the name of _Lucian_ , meaning _light_.

“Are you alright?” Merlin asked, rubbing his thumbs against her cheeks and she smiled.

“Yes,” she assured him, holding onto his arms and squeezing for reassurance. “I did not expect you back so soon- you did say supper when we spoke last.”

“Yes, well, after I told Kilgarrah and Aithusa what had happened, they insisted that I get home as soon as possible so we left shortly after we ended our conversation last night,” he said with a smile.

Morgana turned to Aithusa.

“Thank you for flying him home,” she said, and the White Dragon let out a puff of smoke.

“It was an honor and a much-needed respite from the little ones.” She replied and they all chuckled.

“I am glad you're home,” she said to Merlin before leaning forward to wrap her arms around his waist, letting her head rest on his chest. He placed his arms around her shoulders, tucking her head under his chin and pulling her close and just holding her. Merlin had grown quite strong and fit over the past two years as well, insisting that not all situations required the action of magic, and so he had learned to fight, both physically as well as with weapons. As Morgana laid against his chest, she wondered who would win in a sword fight now- Merlin or Arthur?

“I regret to say that I must be heading back now.” Aithusa said.

Merlin pulled away and turned back to Aithusa, bowing to her with a smile on his face.

“Of course, thank you for bringing me home Aithusa!” Merlin said and the white dragon chuckled before leaning down and pressing her nose to Merlin’s head.

“Thank you for bringing my children into this world Emrys,” she said before stepping back and opening her wings. “You all can expect a visit once our little ones know how to fly.”

“We look forward to it,” Morgana said, “Travel safely my baby dragon!”

Aithusa smiled.

“And both you stay safe, my little magic wielders,” she said. Her large wings opened and beat down as she leaped up, launching herself into the sky and back towards her home.

“Well,” Merlin said, reaching out and taking Morgana’s hand where he laced his fingers with hers before bringing it up to his lips and kissing the top of it. She turned to him with a smile and saw the amused expression on his face. “Shall we?”

“Lead the way!”

****

Arthur heard the windows shake against a strong wind as Aaron helped him finished getting dressed. Things moved much more efficiently here he’d realized when he’d asked Aaron if he could take a quick bath. The servant had been more than happy to comply, leading Arthur to the door on the other side which held what Aaron had called a _washroom_.

“What about the water? It must be cold by now,” Arthur commented as he leaned over the large wooden basin, looking at the still water inside it.

“Simple,” Aaron said and raised his hand, uttering a string of words Arthur didn’t know, and when the prince looked at the man, his eyes sparked gold, and suddenly steam was rising from the water.

“Would you like any assistance?” Aaron asked.

“No, I can manage this,” Arthur had said quickly, smiling awkwardly at Aaron, who simply told him to call if he needed anything.

Arthur had climbed into the tub, enjoying the hot water against his muscles. It was true that he wasn’t sore, but the events of the past fortnight had done a number on him and he was thankful for even this small moment to relax. He reached out and grabbed the rag and soap bar that sat on the small table by the bath and smiled slightly as a memory coming to his mind of its own accord.

_“ I still do not understand why you cannot fluff your own pillows,” Merlin muttered under his breath._

_“It is simple!” Arthur said, startling the servant as Merlin was unaware that the Prince was behind him. “It is because I have you to do it!”_

_Merlin shook his head as he then moved to the other side to get to the rest of the pillows._

_“You know, you may find that these are things you’re going to want to know how to do one day,” Merlin said matter of factly, and Arthur frowned._

_“You planning on going somewhere?” Arthur demanded and Merlin leveled him with a look._

_“No!” he snapped, “However, what if you get lost or end up on your own where people will not wait on you- or you have to pretend to be someone else who is not a prince… things like fluffing pillows and removing your own shoes or even taking a bath by yourself are a few things you may want to learn how to do.”_

_Arthur scoffed._

_“As if I would ever be in any of those situations without you there.” Arthur said and Merlin smiled as he stepped back and admired the nice and big pillows. Arthur continued. “Besides, what would you know about pretending to someone you’re not?”_

_Arthur had watched Merlin’s smile falter as he turned to look at the prince and Arthur wondered if he’d said something to upset his servant before Merlin shrugged._

_“I suppose I do not know much about that, but I’m not wrong about you learning how to fluff your own pillows.” He said. “Is there anything else I can do for tonight sire?”_

_“No, go and head to bed. I will see you at Breakfast.” Arthur said, dismissing Merlin who had smiled bigger, bowed and left the room._

Arthur slid under the water, hoping to drown away the memory. Merlin knew plenty about pretending to be someone he wasn’t, and Arthur felt like a complete dollophead, to use Merlin’s term, at what he’d said that night. Still, he had been right. Shortly after Merlin’s… well, shortly after Merlin, Arthur had begun to learn how to do the simple things. One reason was because he didn’t want Merlin to be right and the other was, he didn’t care for the new servants his father sent him. Not that there was anything wrong with them per se, they just weren’t Merlin.

Arthur pulled himself out of the water and then climbed out of the tub, knowing that Morgana and his men were waiting for him. He dried off and came out with the towel around to him find Aaron standing by the window, simply watching the training that was going on below. He snapped to attention when Arthur came out and smiled.

“Shall we get dressed?” he said, and Arthur nodded.

Then he heard the windows shake, and he quickly ran to the window, opening it just in time to see a large white dragon come flying overhead, beating against him with the wind from its wings. He ducked back into the room and turned to Aaron, who was smiling an amused smile at him.

“That… that was a dragon?” Arthur stated and Aaron chuckled as he held Arthur’s long brown coat out for him to easily slip his arms into.

“Yes, your Grace,” Aaron replied simply. “Her name is Aithusa.”

“She has a name?” Arthur asked before he could stop himself, but Aaron didn’t look offended or insulted. He more looked at Arthur like he was an idiot.

“Of course, she has a name,” he said, the tone of his voice mirroring his face. “Why wouldn’t she?”

“I suppose… I figured that something as magnificent as a dragon wouldn’t bother with something as simple as a name. Also I thought there were no more dragons.” Arthur said as he then slipped into his coat. He had brought his dark blue shirt and nicest pair of brown trousers along with his black riding boots. It wasn’t much in the way of fancy, but it was the best he could do with how quick his decision to leave had been.

“I believe that Emrys called Aithusa into the world a few years ago, but I am not entirely sure. I know only a little about Dragon naming, but, as it was King Emrys who called her, it is something you could ask him today if given the chance.” Aaron said as he smoothed out the shoulders of Arthur’s coat and then turned, grabbing the sword from the table and offering it the Prince. Arthur grabbed the hilt and slide the metal into the scabbard at his waist.

“Your King knows a lot about dragons then?” Arthur asked and Aaron smiled.

“He should, being a Dragon Lord,” Aaron said, “In fact, Aithusa was no doubt the one carrying our King home from visiting their lands.”

Arthur had no response to that.

“Shall we go and see how your knights are doing, my Lord?” Aaron asked and Arthur nodded, following the young servant from the room and through the halls.

_Of course, Emrys would be a Dragon Lord,_ Arthur thought almost bitterly to himself. It was not as if the man didn’t have enough power being the Saviour of the Druids, but now he was also able to command dragons? What had Arthur gotten himself into?

Aaron stopped and gestured to a set of doors.

“Your men are in here. We figured that they would want to be together when they awoke, so we placed them in what is usually used as an infirmary for us.” Aaron said. “I will wait out here for you all to be ready and then I can lead you to the council chambers.”

“Thank you, Aaron,” Arthur said, truly meaning it. The servant had been nothing but kind and pleasant to him, and Arthur really didn’t deserve it. Not after everything his father had put the boy’s people through. Sighing and shaking off the guilt for now, he pushed open the doors and walked into the room. It was rather large, holding more beds than were needed for just his knights, and though it was not as extravagant as the room he had woken up in, it was quite nice for an infirmary.

“Sire!” Leon said, jumping to attention as soon as he saw Arthur. The rest rose to their feet as well, stepping toward their Prince.

“Are all of you alright?” Arthur asked, and turned to see four men standing off to the side gathering up supplies and rags. No doubt they were Charles and his brothers, the ones who were sent to help the knights get ready.

“We are fine Sire, how are you?” Leon asked, “We were worried when you were not with us when we woke.”

“We were afraid Morgana had done something,” Gwaine added, which drew glares from the four brothers.

“I am fine!” Arthur assured his men, “In fact, Morgana and I had a… pleasant conversation.”

“I did not know the witch was capable of a such a thing,” Elyan muttered.

“How dare you speak of our Queen in such a way!” shouted one of the brothers as he turned and began to stalk towards the young man. There was no way Arthur was going to return to Camelot and tell Gwen her brother had died because he’d mouthed off, so he quickly jumped in front of Elyan, raising his hands in defense- much in the same way Morgana had when she’d met him in his room.

“Please forgive him!” Arthur insisted and, ignoring the looks he was getting from his men, continued, “He has not dealt with the Queen Morgana you have come to know.”

The man stopped and his shoulders relaxed as his eyes went over Arthur.

“You are Arthur Pendragon I presume?” he asked.

“I am.”

The man sighed and, surprising Arthur, bowed his head to him.

“You are the brother to my Queen, so I will honor your request,” he said, rising and looking Arthur straight in the eye. “I will forgive your man this time, but should he insult my Queen again, I will not be so kind.”

“Thank you!” Arthur said. “I am grateful for your kindness, truly. You all have been nothing but kind and generous to us.”

“We do as our King and Queen ask,” replied another brother, and the man in front of Arthur nodded in agreement.

“I am still grateful,” Arthur said.

The men then nodded to the Prince before leaving the room, not bothering to grab the remaining supplies.

_Probably for the best,_ Arthur thought as he turned back to his men.

“What is going on with you, Sire?” Leon asked, “Has Morgana bewitched you to being on her side?”

“No!” Arthur growled. “Do not be ridiculous!”

“Why are you defending her then?” Elyan asked.

“Need I remind all of you that we are not in Camelot!” Arthur snapped, “This is not our kingdom, and the laws are very different. What you just did Elyan would under normal circumstances cost you your life, not to mention the idiotic thing you all pulled by attacking those people at the river.” 

“We were defending-” Gwaine began.

“You were doing nothing but seeking revenge and you know it!” Arthur growled, cutting off the knight. Gwaine pressed his lips together and nodded, looking down at the floor.

Arthur sighed.

“Look, you all know why we came here,” he said, drawing their eyes. “My father wants a war with this kingdom and its people. That is a war Camelot will not win, and I want no part in that. I am here to seek peace, and Morgana being here, though unexpected, does not change that. In fact, she seems more eager to listen than any of you do!”

“All we want is to know that we aren’t walking into a trap,” Leon said, his eyes cautious. “Morgana has tricked many before and this could just be the same trick.”

“I know,” Arthur said, his brow furrowing as he thought about his encounter with Morgana not even an hour before. “However, if we are to gain peace, we must be understanding and give them the benefit of the doubt. Besides, I doubt that Emrys would have married Morgana if she was as before.”

The knights and men nodded.

“We will do our best to be opened minded.” Gwaine said.

“Do more than that!” Arthur insisted, “Understand that the people in this land have magic and therefore are capable of doing things you cannot even imagine. Be kind. Be courteous. And most of all, do not do _anything_ to incite a fight or violence. We are guests in their home, and we will act as such. Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes, my Lord!”

“Of course.”

“Forgive my incompetence.”

“We will do as you ask, sire,” Percival assured, nodding to his friend. “What comes now?”

“Now?” Arthur asked, wanting to laugh but knowing that it was not the time. “Now we go and meet the most powerful sorcerer to ever walk the earth and hope he doesn’t kill us.”

“Oh… is that all?” Gwaine asked with a smile and at that Arthur did laugh.

“Come, I would like all of you to be there,” he said and then headed for the door.


	4. Chapter 4

Merlin and Morgana made their way leisurely across the grass, wanting to savor the time that they had alone. He kept hold of her hand, almost as though he was afraid that if he let it go, she would disappear. It was a thought that came to him often, but one that was not so much born in fear that Morgana would return to her old ways, but perhaps just a small worry that this was all a dream from the start.

“Are you still confident in your decision to tell Arthur who you are?” Morgana asked and Merlin laughed.

“I’m not sure I was ever confident about it, but I do not see a way around it either.” He replied and then looked up her and those green eyes that seemed to stare directly into his soul. “Truthfully, I do believe it is time that he knows.”

Morgana nodded.

“I agree with you, but I also want you to know that should you change your mind, I will stand beside you,” she said, stopping suddenly. Merlin swayed slightly as her hand stopped his forward progression and he landed back on his feet, standing in front of her. “I need you to know that I will always stand beside you.”

Merlin smiled.

“There is no place I would rather have you be,” he said and then reached up, taking her face in his hands before leaning in and kissing her deeply. It was the sort of kiss, that though not overly passionate, showed the deep level the trust and love they both shared, and kissing Morgana like this was something Merlin would never tire of.

“Oi!”

The shout came from the door and Merlin broke away from Morgana to see Lancelot standing there, a mischievous smile on his face.

“Is there something you need Lancelot, I’m a little preoccupied!” Merlin replied, going back to continue the kiss. Morgana laughed, kissing him back softly before patting his chest.

“Later, my King,” she whispered, before taking his hand and leading him toward the knight. “What is it Lancelot?”

The knight smiled a more genuine smile and bowed to his rulers. Lancelot had left Camelot shortly after Merlin’s supposed execution- not only was he lost, trapped with the grief of the death of his friend, but he no longer believed that Camelot deserved his loyalty. Arthur perhaps did, and he decided that he would return when Arthur was made King, but so long as Uther was on the throne, he would not stay. So, he began traveling, and after three months or so, ended up near Ealdor. He hadn’t been certain if anyone had bothered to tell Merlin’s mother about him, though he figured Gauis might have, but with not knowing for sure, had decided he would tell her, and so he entered the small farm town with a heavy heart.

As Lancelot made his way down the road, he’d noticed a large group of people gathered, talking and laughing together, and to his utter surprise and joy, he’d found Merlin among them. He had been surprised and concerned when Morgana had shown up, but after Merlin had explained what they were trying to do, he let it be. If Merlin trusted her enough to include her, then Lancelot could respect that. He had eagerly agreed to help them with whatever they needed, and as the months turned into years, Lancelot quickly became the first Knight of Fae’Lin, taking the position of Captain of the Guard and though everyone agreed that Merlin and Morgana did not need a personal guard, Lancelot still took that title anyway as well. If anyone was going to try and kill these two, they would have to get through him.

“I wanted to inform the two of you that there are a few council members that are refusing to leave until they speak with the King,” he stated, and Merlin let out a heavy sigh. He certainly had left at an eventful moment, but in his defense, he did not know Arthur and his knights would be coming during his absence. After all, it had only been three- now four- days since he left to go and wake the Dragon eggs. Still, if he’d known this was going to happen, he never would have left.

“Very well,” Morgana said, sighing heavily. “Are they still in the council chambers?”

“Yes, my Lady!”

“Best not to keep them waiting,” Merlin said

“Should I tell Aaron to hold off on bringing Arthur and the others?” Lancelot inquired as he followed them inside.

“No, I would like to meet with them sooner rather than later. Hopefully these questions will be brief,” Merin stated, though as they made their way through the halls to the council rooms, he had a feeling he was wrong.

“Were you able to meet with Cenred?” Merlin asked Lancelot as they began to climb the stairs and Lancelot nodded.

“I was, though I do not know how productive it was.” he muttered, “Cenred is content with where his Kingdom stands and wishes not to be involved in Fae’Lin in any way, which I suppose is a good thing, as it means he doesn’t wish to be a part of it, it also means he will leave it alone. Still, he was quite adamant that he did not wish to trade lands or goods with us either. I believe this is due to his current peaceful standing with Uther and Camelot.”

“It is understandable,” Morgana said, “The standing he does have with Uther is good, if a little tenuous. Starting up negotiations and trade with us would most likely add him to Uther’s chopping block. I can see why he would want to avoid that.”

“Agreed,” Merlin stated, his neck beginning its phantom itch. “Though I am disappointed about him not wanting to trade lands- I was hoping to add Ealdor to our countries boundaries.”

Morgana squeezed his hand.

“Everyone from your home who wanted to be a part of Fae’Lin has come, and they are all safe,” she said, and Merlin nodded.

“I know, but that was my childhood home,” he insisted, “I want it to be a part of the one we have created now.”

Morgana smiled.

“Then we will not give up on trying to get it,” she said, and he shook his head, smiling at her.

“What did I do to deserve you?” he muttered, and she blushed slightly.

“Oh! I almost forgot!” Lancelot suddenly said, drawing back the two magic users’ attention. He reached into the bag he still had strapped to his back and pulled something out. “I ran into your mother on my way in when I arrived back, and she asked me to give this to you the next time I saw you.”

Lancelot pulled out a deep blue cloth that was long and woven, and offered it to the king. Merlin took it and as he looked at it more closely, he could see that it was made from soft linen that his mother must have layered when weaving, for the thickness of the fabric was impressive for the material type. She had sewn silver onto the edges of it, and off in one corner there was a small cross stitch of a star.

“It’s beautiful, this must have taken her months to make.” Morgana said, making them come to a stop in the hall as she took it from Merlin and felt the material. She smiled at him before reaching up and wrapping the scarf about his neck, tucking it under the collar of his coat and letting the ends fall against his chest. “And it brings out the blue of your eyes.”

Merlin smiled and toyed with the end for a moment.

“She thought you might want something simple for your wardrobe with the winter months coming,” Lancelot said. “I asked her to make me one as well.”

Merlin laughed.

“Perhaps I should encourage her to set up a shop,” he muttered as they rounded the corner and entered the council chambers.

“My King!” Trauis exclaimed as they entered and despite having been told that they were there, Merlin barely managed to contain the groan in his chest when he saw exactly which members of the council were there. He wasn’t too worried about Drisa, Trauis and Maise for they were all known to be levelheaded members of the Druid communities. It was Abraham that gave Merlin pause, for his hot temper had landed him, as well as Merlin and many others, in trouble more than once.

“Welcome back, Sire,” Maise said and Merlin smiled at her, stepping further into the room with Morgana and Lancelot.

“Thank you Maise,” he said, and then turned to the other three; who were all standing around the table staring at him expectantly.

_I suppose there will be no rest for me,_ Merlin thought.

He turned toward Lancelot.

“Close the doors please,” he said, “Do not let anyone in until I say otherwise.”

“Yes, your Highness!” he replied, closing the doors. Once that was done, Merlin turned back to the group and walked up to the table. He pursed his lips and, since no one was sitting anyway, he flicked his wrist and with a flash of his eyes sent all the chairs to sit at the walls. He looked at each person before letting out a heavy sigh.

“What are your concerns?” he asked.

“Simple!” Abraham snapped, drawing everyone’s attention. “A royal from Camelot has entered our kingdom and we are not only allowing this but giving him a welcome place in the castle!”

“As I told you before Abraham, Arthur Pendragon is not here to seek violence!” Morgana said, stepping forward. “He wishes to make peace with us.”

“But seeking peace does mean that there is a threat of violence or even war coming from somewhere in Camelot,” Drisa said, moving closer to the table. Her own eyes sparkled, and a map appeared in front of her. Merlin watched as lines and magical drawings of groups moved across the surface. “Our scouting patrols have made notice of several Camelot factions moving in closer to our boarders, some even going as far as to set up camps.”

“What if this is a distraction?” Abraham interjected, “What if the Prince is here simply to keep us from defending our boarders?”

“I do not believe that is Arthur’s intentions,” Morgana insisted, turning to Merlin. “He seemed very sincere about wanting to find peace.”

“But _why_ is he so earnest for peace?” Maise asked, “Drisa is right- if he’s seeking it now, then there must be a threat that pushed him towards it.”

“I do not know if this connects,” Trauis said, moving forward, waving his hand and casting his own magic over the map. The terrain shifted, moving north toward Nemeth. “There has been word that several Druid groups have had to flee to Nemeth to escape Uther’s wrath. If there is a threat of violence, I would guess that it is coming from King Uther.”

“All the more reason we should be wary!” Abraham insisted, slamming his hand down on the table for emphasis. “No one of Uther’s blood can trusted!”

“Is that so?” Morgana demanded, “Then I suppose you think that of me as well then?”

Abraham stood up straighter and stepped back, his face falling slightly.

“No, of course not Your Highness, but,” he floundered for a moment. “As stated earlier today, you have magic, you understand the situation we are in- Arthur Pendragon does not.”

“My brother may not have magic, but he is kinder and wiser than you are giving him credit for,” Morgana replied, and Merlin smiled slightly to himself as he studied the map. Morgana had come a long way in two years. He wondered what the previous High Priestess would think of her defending Arthur to other magic users and figured he probably did not want to know.

“But how do we know he is being honest?” Maise asked, hating playing devil’s advocate, but feeling like the question needed to be asked.

“Simple answer- we don’t, but in the end, that is not what it is about.” Merlin said, speaking up for the first time, and all eyes were on him. He waved his hand at the map and all of them watched as it zoomed out, overlooking the entire land. “What do you see here?”

“The land of Albion,” Trauis answered.

“Precisely!” Merlin said, “Not Camelot. Not Nemeth or Odin’s lands. Not even Fae’Lin. When you look at the land like this you do not see separate kingdoms and countries, but one whole land. This is where we want to be- where we are all united, as one, and we are not going to get there by doubting and judging others.”

“But Sire,” Abraham began only to be silenced by Merlin’s glare.

“Arthur Pendragon is many things, but he is not a liar, nor is he someone who would put innocent people in harm’s way.” Merlin stated. “Now, I know the same cannot be said of Uther, but Arthur is a man of honor. If he says he is here to talk about peace, then I believe him, and I will listen to him.”

“And what if it is a trap?” Drisa asked.

Merlin sighed, feeling a headache pushing at his skull at the same time a knock sounded on the door.

“I’ll see what it is,” Morgana said, turning toward the door.

“No need,” Merlin muttered, standing up straight. “It’s Arthur.” 

“What would you like to do?” Morgana asked, watching Merlin’s face for any emotion. He rolled out his shoulders and neck, his hand unconsciously coming up to rub at his throat beneath the scarf. Morgana’s eyes went there of their own accord, to the thin, red line on Merlin’s neck that was peeking out beneath the blue fabric. She stepped forward, placing her hand on his shoulder and he turned to look at her.

_If you are not ready for this, then it can wait,_ she thought to him and he smiled, placing his hand over hers.

_No, this needs to happen._

“Go ahead and let them in,” he said aloud, to which Morgana nodded and headed for the door. Merlin waved his hand at the map again, having the terrain shift back towards where the Camelot armies were gathering. He then turned to Drisa. “Send out a scouting unit to see about the camps that have been set up along the border. Remind them that they are to do nothing but watch and learn and then report back.”

“Yes, Your Highness!” Drisa said, bowing her head.

The sound of the doors opening came from behind Merlin and he couldn’t help the knot that formed in his stomach, but he continued speaking to his council members for the moment.

“Trauis, please send some of our Druid Companies to check on the groups that have been forced into Nemeth. See if they would like to remain there or join us here in Fae’Lin- but be sure to reach out to King Rodor and tell him you are coming. The last thing we need is for them to think we are trespassing.”

“Right away Your Highness!” Trauis said, bowing as well.

He had meant to turn around then and greet Arthur and the knights. He wanted to get the moment of their recognition to him being… him, done and over with, but as he went to turn, his eyes landed on Abraham, who was glaring at the entering party with fury.

“My King- I present Prince Arthur of Camelot and his knights,” Lancelot’s voice rang out behind him, and Merlin watched as Abraham’s face began to turn red.

“It is an honor to be here, Your Grace!” came Arthur’s voice from behind Merlin, but he didn’t turn just yet, even though that voice brought tears to his eyes. “We are grateful for the welcome we have received and-”

“Welcome?” Abraham barked and Merlin wanted to punch something. “You filthy Camelot’s are not welcome here!”

“Abraham.” Morgana warned.

“No! I cannot- I _will_ not stand for this! His father is responsible for the deaths of so many of our kind and I will pay him back for it now!” Abraham shouted, beginning to move around the table, raising his hand and beginning to chant in the ancient language and Merlin had officially had enough.

“Be silent!” Merlin commanded and immediately Abraham’s mouth slammed shut, ending his chant and cutting off the magic that was beginning to build. Abraham turned to Merlin with fear in his eyes, which only grew stronger as he saw the anger and annoyance etched into the King’s normally smooth and calm features. “I do not appreciate people threatening or attempting to hurt my guests. Arthur and his men are my guests Abraham, and they _will_ be treated as such. Do I make myself clear?”

Abraham’s breathing was coming faster as the realization that he could not open his mouth began to become real. Since he could not respond, he nodded his head, before simply bowing before the King.

“Good.” Merlin said, and his eyes flashed gold. Abraham let out a gasp as his mouth was free to speak. “Now apologize!”

“Your Grace-”

“I said apologize!” Merlin snapped, and though his voice did rise in volume, a shudder went through everyone at the power that filled the room. Although, it also could have been the sudden shockwave that emanated from Merlin.

Abraham swallowed and turned to the group of men that were staring at Emrys with wide eyes. The one in the front, with the blonde hair and piercing blue eyes, turned his attention to Abraham, but the fear and worry didn’t leave his face.

“I… I am sorry,” Abraham said, bowing to the Prince. “Please forgive me.”

“Of course!” Arthur insisted.

“Thank you!” Abraham muttered, and then turned back to Emrys, “If there is nothing else Your Highness, I will take my leave.”

“Yes, there is one more thing,” Merlin muttered. “I would like for you to reach out to the outlying Druid communities- ride there with some others if you must. I would like to get a count of how many of them intend to come to our Summer Solstice festival in a week’s time.”

“It would be my honor, Lord Emrys,” Abraham said, bowing more deeply, “I will leave first thing in the morning.”

“Very good!” Merlin stated. “That will be all for today, for I have another meeting to attend to. The rest of you, remember to report back to me on what you find.”

“Of course!” the rest of the council said before bowing and quickly ducking from the room, both in awe and fear of the power displayed by their King. Sometimes, with Emrys’ normally calm and kind demeanor, they could easily forget just how powerful he truly was and moments like these were a good reminder. Once they were gone and the door closed Merlin felt a weight leave his shoulders, and he let them fall with a heavy sigh.

“Are you alright?” Morgana asked, coming up behind him and placing her hands on his shoulders.

Merlin smiled, but still did not turn around.

“Yes, thank you!” he replied.

“You can do this!” Morgana whispered in his ear and then kissed his cheek. Merlin’s smile grew bigger at that and he nodded.

“Arthur Pendragon, Prince of Camelot,” Morgana said, turning to face her wide-eyed brother. “I would like you to meet Emrys, Saviour of the Druids, Lord of Dragon’s, King of Fae’Lin, and my husband.”

“It…it is an honor to meet you, Lord Emrys,” Arthur voice sounded from behind Merlin, and the tone of almost near reverence made Merlin want to laugh.

“Come now Arthur. You and I do not need such titles,” Merlin said as he took one more deep breath before turning to look at the Prince. He could easily see the moment recognition dawned on Arthur, as well as on the knights, but Merlin simply smiled and bowed his head to them slightly before rising back up to meet their shocked faces. “I think Merlin will do just fine.”

*****

Arthur followed Aaron easily as he led the way through the castle. The servant moved at a brisk but even pace, saying hello to the other servants as they passed and even once stopped to help situate a tray of food better, telling the young boy carrying it that it was no problem and he would get the hang of it soon enough. Arthur watched as the young boy hurried off, an almost bounce to his step as he disappeared around the corner.

“Your Grace, is everything alright?”

Arthur turned back to see that while he’d been distracted by the boy the others had started walking again. Aaron now stood beside him, with uneasy stares from his knights, waiting for Arthur’s response.

“Yes, sorry, I was simply thinking about how different this place is from Camelot,” Arthur replied, and Aaron nodded.

“I have never been to Camelot,” he said, beginning to walk once more with Arthur beside him. “My family came from a small town on the outskirts of Nemeth, where we had a farm that we took care of. Being so far away and having many duties each day, we did not travel much. What is Camelot like?”

Arthur mused over the question for a moment, having not expected it. He thought Aaron would say something about the laws being the reason he’d never gone there- not something as simple as being too busy.

“It’s a nice place,” Arthur said slowly, “The castle itself sits in a small valley with a town extending off toward the river.”

“Sounds beautiful,” Aaron said, “and the people? What are they like?”

“Happy, or… so they seem.” Arthur said. “Though I suppose there could be improvement done there.”

“You said a moment ago that Fae’Lin felt different, what did you mean?” Aaron asked as they began to climb a set of stairs.

Arthur let out a breath, thinking that it probably would have been better had he not said anything when he realized that his father was not here. He took a small glance at his knights behind him, who were all quiet as they walked, also waiting for his answer.

“You are all happier here,” Arthur said, turning back to Aaron. “You are all at ease with each other. You don’t seem to worry about saying the wrong thing or stepping out of line or messing up. You go about your day, doing the best you can and… that’s enough for everyone.”

“Well of course, all any of us can do is our best.” Aaron said as they reached the top of the stairs. Arthur eyes were drawn to the end of the hall where there was a small gathering of four knights. Three of which were dressed in armor while the fourth was wearing clothes more suited for attending meetings, save for the leather bag he wore on his back and the sword attached to his waist. In any other circumstance, he would have thought him to be a noble. 

“Captain!” Aaron said, running up to the knights, drawing them from their conversation. Arthur and his men followed at a slower pace, watching the group as they all turned to face Aaron. “I was not aware that you had returned today?”

The well-dressed guard turned, meeting Aaron’s comment with a smile and Arthur stopped in his tracks a few feet from the group. The brown eyes danced over from Aaron and locked with Arthur’s gaze, the smile faltering to one that was softer-sadder somehow. He then turned back to Aaron.

“Yes, I arrived about an hour or so before the King did,” Lancelot said, and Aaron laughed.

“Fortunate timing,” Aaron said and then turned and gestured to Arthur and the others. “This is Prince Arthur Pendragon of Camelot and his men. I was instructed by the Queen to bring them here when they were all dressed and ready.”

“Yes, Morgana made me aware,” Lancelot said, and then turned to Arthur, bowing his head. His hair was longer than the last time Arthur had seen him, and some of the dark, curling locks fell forward. “Welcome to Fae’Lin Arthur, it is good to see you again.”

Arthur had no words. It felt like someone had taken all the air from his lungs and he didn’t have the strength to form a response.

_Lancelot is here?_ His mind screamed at him in disbelief, _what is Lancelot doing here?_

“Lancelot?” Gwaine demanded in shock as he walked forward, eyeing his old friend as though he were an apparition instead of a person.

Lancelot chuckled.

“It is me Gwaine,” he said.

“What are you doing here?” Leon demanded, moving to Arthur’s side.

“That’s a story for another time, for now, all you need to know if that I am the Captain of the Guard here is Fae’Lin, as well as the personal guard to the King and Queen,” he said, smiling proudly at the statement.

“Though most of us agree that King Emrys and Queen Morgana are the last people in Fae’Lin to need protecting,” one of the guards behind Lancelot commented with a slight chuckle and Lancelot shot him a small glare.

“Anyone who wishes to cause harm on my King or Queen will have to get through me first,” he stated strongly. “Besides, with me they might have a chance of walking away alive at least.”

They all laughed slightly at that.

“Well, I think I can take care of things from here Aaron, why don’t you go and head on home for dinner.” Lancelot said, clapping the servant on the back.

“I would, but I was specifically told to bring them into the council chambers,” Aaron said softly and with a little hesitation.

“No need to worry, the King and Queen still intend to meet with Arthur and the others, they are just taking care of a few more questions from the Council. I will let Morgana and the others know that the Prince has arrived,” Lancelot said, and Aaron nodded.

“Very well,” he said and then turned to Arthur and his knights, bowing to them before rising back up with a smile. “I thank you for accepting my help and I hope that your meeting with King Emrys goes well. Farewell and I will see you in the morning.”

Arthur forced himself to stop staring at Lancelot and smiled at Aaron.

“It is I who should be thanking you Aaron, you have been so helpful, and we all appreciate it,” Arthur stated. “I look forward to seeing more of you while I am here.”

Aaron nodded once more and disappeared down the stairs as Arthur turned back to Lancelot.

“I thought you were dead,” Arthur stated, and Lancelot’s sad smile came back to his face.

“Not quite yet, my Lord,” he said and then moved to knock on the large set of wooden doors.

Nothing else was said between the group as they waited. Arthur was just about to suggest they knock again when the door opened, and Morgana walked out. It had been less than an hour since he’d seen her, but she seemed different: almost happier. She smiled warmly at Lancelot and then at Arthur and his knights, though that one looked a little more cautious.

“Ah! I am happy to see that you made it,” she said, and Arthur could see his men sharing looks, but Arthur couldn’t blame them. They hadn’t seen this kind version of Morgana, and to be honest, it was still something he was unsure of. “I am sorry if the closed door has caused any confusion. Emrys simply wanted to get the questions from the council done with before you arrived, and the privacy helped with that.”

“If he needs more time, we could come back,” Arthur stated, though hoping that Morgana would not take the offer. He was already anxious, and he did not want to put this off any longer.

“Not at all Arthur,” Morgana said, “Emrys would much rather be meeting with you than with the council right now.”

“Then why isn’t he?” Leon demanded. “We have travelled a great distance to speak with your King- this action here is disgraceful!”

“If I am not mistaken,” Lancelot said, “It was all of you who attacked our people along the river, and they were doing nothing but fishing. If you ask me, that is what is disgraceful, and yet my Queen not only healed all of you but brought you back here to her home without a second thought.”

Leon’s jaw tightened.

“What is your point Lancelot?” he demanded.

“Perhaps you should show a little more gratitude to the woman who saved your lives instead of throwing insults,” Lancelot snapped, his dark eyes going as hard stone.

“Lancelot is right!” Arthur snapped, stepping forward and cutting off whatever Leon’s response was going to be. After glaring for a moment at his knight Arthur turned to Morgana. “I apologize. We are ready to meet with your King.”

Morgana smiled and nodded. She didn’t say anything in response to Leon, or to Lancelot, just simply turned and opened the doors, leading them all inside. Though Arthur did notice how Lancelot’s hand reached out and squeezed Morgana’s only to then let go and fall into step behind her, but he didn’t have time to think about that, for just as he was starting to wonder about that action a confident and commanding voice filled the room.

“Trauis, please send some of our Druid Companies to check on the groups that have been forced into Nemeth. See if they would like to remain there or join us here in Fae’Lin- but be sure to reach out to King Rodor and tell them you are coming. The last thing we need is for them to think we are trespassing.”

Arthur turned to face the room, which was just a little bigger than the council chambers back in Camelot. The same white stone was here, as well as a smooth gray stone for the floor. Five large, arching windows filled the wall to Arthur’s right and three more of the same were on the wall in front of him. A large dark wooden table sat in the middle of the room, but all the chairs had been pushed to the outer walls. Upon the table sat a large map, which the four individuals in the room were looking at. Three of them were facing toward the door, so Arthur could see their faces. One was a heavier set man dressed in dark robes with greasy black hair and a scruffy beard; another was a man with light blonde hair, almost the same as Arthur’s, but he had a small goatee around his mouth, and had dark brown eyes; the last two were women, though very different in style. One was older, with similar dark brown eyes to the man, a thin face, and blonde hair which she currently had in a braid while the other was of a fairer complexion, and appeared to be no older than Arthur- who had just reached his 23rd summer. She had piercing green eyes with deep brown hair that curled about her face like a shrub trying to overtake a boulder.

The one that was turned away from Arthur was the one who had spoken and who all the others were looking towards. He had on an exquisite dark gray coat that hung down to his calf’s and appeared as soft as a deer’s hide. A sword in a black leather scabbard hung from the man’s waist, the tip now resting against the side of the riding boots he wore. He also appeared to be wearing some sort of fabric about his neck, causing the edges of his black hair to poke out slightly.

“Right away Your Highness!” the blonde man with the scruff said, bowing to the raven-haired man, who nodded in return as he stood up straighter. It was then that Lancelot stepped forward.

“My King- I present Prince Arthur of Camelot and his knights,” Lancelot’s stated, his voice booming around the room. Arthur thought he might have seen the King flinch slightly, and he was certain he saw the man with the greasy hair sneer, but he ignored it all, instead stepping forward and bowing slightly. 

“It is an honor to be here, Your Grace!” he said with as much respect as he could. “We are grateful for the welcome we have received and-”

“Welcome?”

Arthur stopped and looked up to see that the man with the greasy hair looked about ready to maul Arthur with his bare hands.

“You filthy Camelot’s are not welcome here!” he shouted, his face gaining another shade of red.

“Abraham.” Morgana said, drawing Arthur’s attention. Her face held mild annoyance, but her voice was filled with warning.

“No!” Abraham shouted so loudly that Arthur actually jumped as he turned back to the man, who was starting to walk toward him. “I cannot- I _will_ not stand for this! His father is responsible for the deaths of so many of our kind and I will pay him back for it now!”

Words Arthur recognized but didn’t understand began to weave their way out of Abrahams mouth and his dark eyes sparkled with magic as his hands began to rise. Arthur felt a panic seize his stomach, seeming to choke of his words and make his legs numb. This man was a sorcerer, and he was going to kill Arthur right here and now. But this couldn’t be the end? Surely Morgana and Emrys wouldn’t allow this man to kill him in their kingdom. They wouldn’t allow that, would they? Perhaps this had all been a set up and this was the moment of true revenge for all the wrong Arthur and his father had done. Perhaps this was just and right and-

“Be silent!”

The command was simple, barely said above a speaking volume, but held a power that made Arthur’s already numb legs wobble. The chanting immediately stopped and the magic in the room ceased. Arthur looked back at Abraham to see that he was staring at the King with utter fear, his lips clamped together in an uncomfortable line.

“I do not appreciate people threatening or attempting to hurt my guests.” Emrys said, and Arthur watched as Abraham began to tremble where he stood. “Arthur and his men are my guests Abraham, and they _will_ be treated as such. Do I make myself clear?”

Arthur could see that Abraham was beginning to panic, for it looked like he had tried to reply, only to realize that he truly could not open his mouth. As such, he began to nod his head frantically before bowing deeply to his King. 

“Good.”

Abraham let out a gasp.

“Now apologize!”

“Your Grace-”

“I said apologize!” Emrys commanded, and a shockwave of energy slammed its way through the room, hitting against everyone with a force strong enough to knock them over. Everyone did manage to stay on their feet, but as Arthur turned to make sure his men were okay, he exchanged worried and frightened looks with each of them. As he looked to Gwaine, and saw the concern there, he felt that he could read the knights mind and agreed. They were doomed.

Arthur then turned back to the scene in front of him, stealing a glance at Emrys’ back, only to then notice Abraham now looking at him and he stood up straighter as he met the sorcerer’s eyes.

“I… I am sorry,” Abraham said, bowing. “Please forgive me.”

“Of course!” Arthur said quickly, not wanting to make the situation worse by being angry and not forgiving the man.

“Thank you!” Abraham replied before he turned his attention back Emrys, “If there is nothing else Your Highness, I will take my leave.”

“Yes, there is one more thing,” he replied, his voice sounding like nothing had happen. “I would like for you to reach out to the outlying Druid communities- ride there with some others if you must. I would like to get a count of how many of them intend to come to our Summer Solstice festival in a week’s time.”

“It would be my honor, Lord Emrys,” Abraham replied fervently, bowing more deeply as his first bow had never really ended, “I will leave first thing in the morning.”

“Very good!” Emrys said. “That will be all for today, for I have another meeting to attend to. The rest of you, remember to report back to me on what you find.”

“Of course!” the others said in unison and quickly left the room. Arthur watched them as they scurried off, easily seeing the fear on their faces, but what he couldn’t understand was if they were afraid, why were they smiling?

“Are you alright?” Arthur heard Morgana ask and turned away from Lancelot closing the doors to see her standing with her hands on Emrys’ shoulders and heard him sigh heavily. 

“Yes, thank you!” he replied.

Morgana then leaned in and kissed his cheek before turning back to Arthur and he was certain by the smile she gave him that he must look like a gaping fish. 

“Arthur Pendragon, Prince of Camelot,” Morgana said, using his full title. “I would like you to meet Emrys, Saviour of the Druids, Lord of Dragon’s, King of Fae’Lin, and my husband.”

Arthur swallowed and after looking to his knights one last time took a step forward and bowed a little more deeply than when he’d first entered.

“It…it is an honor to meet you, Lord Emrys,” he said, hoping Emrys could hear not only the sincerity in his voice but his reverence for his power as well.

“Come now Arthur.” Emrys said, and the easy tone of the King’s voice filled the young Prince with confusion. “You and I do not need such titles.”

Arthur began to frown slightly at the comment but, as the King finally turned to look at him, it felt as though the floor beneath him had vanished. His eyes widen and his mouth fell open, and as he took a deep breath, he felt as though there would never be enough air to withstand the feeling those penetrating sapphire eyes left on him. He watched the King bow slightly before rising back up with a smile.

“I think Merlin will do just fine,” he said, and then Arthur watched as those deep blue eyes, the ones that had always looked at him with annoyance or disbelief or even friendship, sparkled with a golden hue and all the chairs slid back to the table.

“Come.” Merlin said, gesturing to the chairs at the table. “Please. Sit.”

“Merlin?”

It wasn’t Arthur who spoke, but Gwaine, and Arthur watched as his formally dead manservant looked up to the knight and smiled.

“Hello Gwaine, it is nice to see you again,” he said, and the knight let out a small breath before moving a few steps forward only to stop just short of Merlin.

“I… I don’t… Merlin?” Gwaine said again, stepping forward another small step.

Merlin smiled, but it was an uncomfortable one.

“I suppose we should start with some explanations,” he muttered, turning to Morgana, whose only response was to nod her head. Merlin then looked toward the back of the room. “Lancelot, could you go and see if the kitchen could have some food prepared? This meeting will be a long one.”

“Of course, your Grace!” Lancelot said and then left the room.

Merlin sighed and ran a hand through his hair before he looked back at the knight who was still openly gawking at him.

“If I let you hug me Gwaine, will it stop you from looking at me like that?” Merlin asked and Gwaine shook his head.

“Probably not, but I’ll try it,” the knight replied before stepping forward and pulling Merlin into a big hug. Slowly, each of the other knights stepped forward to do the same, hugging Merlin tightly and laughing. Gwaine grabbed at Merlin’s bicep, squeezing before Merlin shoved him off with a laugh.

“It is really him.”

Arthur jumped and turned to see that Morgana was now standing next to him. She smiled slightly before slowly reaching out and taking Arthur’s hand in hers and squeezing it.

“It’s him,” she said again. “He’s alive Arthur. You didn’t fail him.” 

Arthur’s eyes prickled at her words.

“How did you-”

“I’m your sister,” she said with a shrug and then looked over at Merlin. “That and I know he feels like he failed you too.”

Arthur looked back to the group and took a deep breath. He still felt as though he couldn’t breathe, but the floor had returned, so that was a good sign. He took one step forward, and then another, until he was standing just a few feet from Merlin, who then turned to him and smiled.

“Hello Arthur.”

“I watched you die,” Arthur said, ignoring pleasantries and doing his best to keep his voice from shaking and the tears from falling over. “I watched from where I was held by the guards as your head was separated from your body. Did… did you use magic to escape? Was it an illusion? How are you alive Merlin?”

Merlin looked to the floor as he took a deep breath, his lips pressing together. He closed his eyes and seemed to think for a moment before looking back up and meeting Arthur’s gaze, at which point Arthur saw tears sparkling in them.

“There was no magic, no illusion. What you saw happened Arthur,” he said and then reached up and pulled the blue scarf down, exposing his throat and as Arthur looked there and saw the puckered red line, he stepped forward, pulling the scarf further away and entirely revealing Merlin’s neck and slowly pressed his fingers to the scar. Once he’d confirmed it went all the way around, he turned and met Merlin’s eyes, which were no longer containing the tears. Neither were Arthur’s.

“Oh Merlin,” he said and then pulled his friend into a hug. “I am so sorry!”

Merlin returned the hug eagerly and held tightly to Arthur, and for the first time in two years, both Merlin and Arthur felt almost… complete… like a piece of them had been given back to other and they were whole again.

“It was not your fault Arthur,” Merlin said, reluctantly pulling away and fixing the scarf so it once again covered his neck. Merlin wiped his face then laughed. “My Gods! You have been in Fae’Lin less than a day and you’ve already gotten the King to cry. Keep this up and you’ll get a Peace Treaty no problem!”

Arthur and the knights all laughed.

“How did you know about that?” Arthur asked and Merlin raised an eyebrow.

“Morgana told me that’s why you’re here,” he said, “Also the council members had been discussing the possibility that you being here was all a trap to lure us into a false confidence.”

“Oh,” Arthur muttered and heard Morgana’s laughter from behind him. He turned as she walked up and took Merlin’s hand.

“Now that we’re gotten the _re_ -introductions out of the way, perhaps we should actually _start_ the meeting,” she said, giving Merlin a pointed look, which he scoffed at but nodded.

“Of course, there is much to talk about,” he said, and then motioned to the chairs once more. “Please, all of you take a seat. I am sure you all have plenty of questions about what happened to me and what Morgana and I have created here- we can start with that and then get into the details of this Peace you are seeking once Lancelot returns with the food.”

Arthur walked with Merlin to the head of the table, taking the seat that sat on the right of one of the larger chairs. He watched then with curious interest as Merlin pulled the second chair out for Morgana, smiling at her as she thanked him. Merlin then reached down and took her hand, bringing it to his lips and kissing the top of it, before sitting down himself while still holding her hand, at which point he turned to Arthur.

“What would you like to know first?” he asked, and the room fell silent as they all waited for Arthur’s response.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just as a heads up, I changed the time between when Arthur and Merlin last saw each other from 2 years to 3 just to fit with some of the timeline and history that I'm putting together.  
> Also, thank you for you patience with how long it took me to get this chapter out. Had finals and family events with the start of the holiday season.  
> I am glad that so many have loved this story. Comments always welcome! Enjoy!

Arthur couldn’t help but watch Merlin as he went about telling his tale. He wasn’t sure if it was just rapt attention due to the incredible and impossible nature of the story or if it was just the utter relief at seeing his friend alive; smiling and laughing as he watched Gwaine stumble when going to get more wine. Merlin seemed so full of life that it was hard to believe that not even an hour before this Arthur believed him to be dead and gone, but there was still the question of how.

The story that Merlin told them was an interesting one. They all sat in stunned silence, listening intently, not wanting to miss a single detail. What Merlin spoke of was something out of the stories Uther had told Arthur when he was growing up- of men who could defy death and rule for ages with no one to stop them. But the way Merlin told it- it was almost as though he regretted the facts he spoke of. He was happy to be alive, but Arthur and the knights could tell in the way he said certain things or answered a question that lead them to believe he was more annoyed with his immortality than grateful for it.

Morgana took over the story when Merlin spoke of seeking her out once he was… put back together. Arthur found that his mood became a little bitter at hearing this, but Arthur couldn’t really blame Merlin for going to her and not him- he certainly wouldn’t want to go back to the family that had cut his head off. Morgana spoke of how she helped Merlin to recover from his resurrection- explaining that while it was magic, it didn’t come without a cost. Merlin had barely been able to walk those first few weeks and looked like a soft breeze could blow him over when he finally could. That was another thing Arthur realized in this moment- Merlin had gone to Morgana because he needed her magic as much as he’d needed her protection.

Both of them spoke of how coming to one another as their true selves- not as a servant or a ward of the king, helped to foster a friendship they’d never imagined possible. They left the idea of enemies behind and moved forward, first as friends, but eventually as more. They didn’t spend too much time discussing their relationship, but instead spoke of how they slowly began to realize the good they could do together, which eventually lead to them reaching out to the magic communities about creating a place for everyone to belong. Once they had enough support, the rest seemed to fall into place as though it was meant to be.

It was shortly after the part in the story when the castle was being built, and the town constructed, that Lancelot returned with several others carrying food on trays and small ornate carts. Merlin quickly stood up and walked over to them, smiling and talking with a few of the servants. Arthur watched as he helped to unload the carts, putting food on the table and plates in front of the knights, all the while keeping up a stream of conversation with the servants. He asked about their families and their homes. He knew of their sick relatives and the state of their farms and shops, as well as injuries they had received themselves, and passions they were pursuing.

Arthur observed with a strange curiosity as Merlin moved about. He’d always known Merlin was a confident person, but this just seemed like something else. The man was at ease with himself, and much like he and Morgana had stated, having that allowed him to truly be who he was. Back in Camelot with Arthur he’d been hiding part of who he was, but here, there was no hiding, no lying and Merlin appeared to be joyous in that liberation. As he moved to place Morgana’s food in front of her, he let his hand brush against her arm. She looked up and the look of love there was astounding, and Arthur found himself wishing for more details on how that had truly come to be, for he believed he’d never seen anything like it.

“Lancelot!” Merlin called, pulling Arthur from his thoughts. The knight turned from where he was at the door. “Please, join us for this next part if you would.”

“I would be happy to your majesty,” he said and walked up to take the seat that had been left empty next to Morgana.

“Very good,” Merlin said as he took his own seat once more and began to pick at the fruit loaded onto his plate. After a few moments of everyone eating in silence, Merlin then turned to Arthur, his blue eyes expectant. “I think that I will save the rest of the story I was telling for another time. Please, would you explain to me why you’ve come here Arthur.”

The prince blinked and had to quickly catch himself in surprise before choking on the drink he’d just taken. It was quite the change in subject, but as he glanced around the table, seeing all the knights had stopped in their eating as well and were looking between Merlin and Arthur, he realized that now was the time. His gaze locked with Morgana’s and found that her eyes were soft and her smile genuine as she nodded encouragingly at him.

“Well, the truth of the matter is that my father is not happy with the creation of your kingdom,” Arthur stated, to which Merlin’s face lit up with a slight smile.

“I do not think anyone is surprised by that news,” he replied, and Arthur chuckled softly.

“No, I suppose not, but his anger at the creation of Fae’Lin and its subsequent prosperity is what concerns me.” Arthur said, before taking a quick bite of the meat on his plate. It tasted like quail and was cooked to perfection.

“Once again,” Merlin stated, reaching for his goblet, “Not a surprise.”

“I know, but I’ve never seen him so frustrated by something. Truly, nearly every action he takes is with the ultimate goal of causing this kingdom to fall.”

Merlin turned and shared a look with Morgana, who shook her head before sighing.

“Do you believe him capable of doing this Arthur?” she asked, and Arthur thought for a moment.

“I am not sure, but if I have learned anything in my lifetime, Uther is not someone you underestimate,” he said.

“True,” Merlin muttered, leaning back and letting the goblet spin in his hands, swirling the wine inside. “What makes me worried is about whether or not Uther would truly go that far. Regardless, even if Camelot, or any Kingdom for that matter, were to come against us, they would not stand a chance.”

“Show a bit of humility Merlin,” Gwaine said jokingly, “Perhaps you should not underestimate us.”

“I am not doubting that you, or any of those in Camelot, are good fighters, Gwaine. But please remember that you have not fought many possessing magic,” Merlin stated with a smile. “I guarantee that even Aaron could defeat you with ease.”

Gwaine scoffed but said nothing more, simply returning to his food as he continued to listen to the conversations.

“Arthur, would this be why there are Camelot companies stationed at our boarders?” Merlin suddenly asked. He remembered the issue being mentioned by the council and it was something that had made him a little worried.

Arthur shrugged.

“I am not sure, but it wouldn’t surprise me,” he said, “I could see my father’s paranoia about Fae’Lin causing him to do something of that sort.”

“Seems like an odd, and rude, thing to do against a kingdom that has not been threatening,” Lancelot said. “Would he not need the approval of his council to do something like that?’

“He’s the King,” Arthur stated matter of factly, and the three others shared a look.

Merlin sighed and turned his blue gaze to Arthur once more.

“This has you quite worried.” Merlin stated, his head tilting slightly, and though it clearly was not a question, Arthur nodded.

“I do not want any unnecessary fighting, and I’m not the only one. While they can’t stop the actions that he takes, many council members have voiced concerns to me about what is going on,” Arthur stated, “My father… he is spending money we should not be spending and using up resources we need for the winter and it can’t keep happening!”

“And you believe that a Peace Treaty would stop this?” Merlin asked, and though his voice was calm there was clear doubt on his face.

“Honestly Merlin, I do not know.” Arthur stated, the hopeless feeling of the past three years seeping into his voice. “My main goal in coming here was so that we could form something that would be binding enough that not even Uther could go against it without a risk of war.”

Merlin’s eyebrows rose slightly.

“That seems rather serious Arthur. Besides, is war not what Uther is currently seeking?”

“I don’t think so, I mean, not directly.” Arthur said, and then sighed as he saw the confusion on both Merlin and Morgana’s faces. “Listen, while my father does want this kingdom gone, he’s not an idiot. You said yourself that should he come against you, he would fail, and I believe he knows that- which is why he trying other tactics before resorting to war. What I think he’s trying to do is… discredit you? Or cut you off from the things you need. He wants to drive those who would join you away, making you lose support and then watch as you crumble to nothing all on your own… or at least that what he hopes will happen.”

Merlin scoffed slightly and shook his head. He tore a piece of meat from the bird on his plate and tossed it into his mouth. He turned to Morgana and they stared at each other for a moment before Merlin brought one leg up and rested his elbow upon his knee. He then turned to look down the table at the knights.

“Where do all of you stand on this?” he asked and Arthur turned to see all his men freeze in their actions, their eyes becoming worried as they looked to Merlin. He looked innocent enough, sitting comfortably- and rather unkinglike- in the chair, his face passive as he waited for their answer. But they easily remembered the power in his voice and the shock wave that came from him.

“If I could ask for a clarification, do you mean in terms of Uther?” Leon asked softly and Merlin nodded.

“Yes, and a little more,” he said, “Morgana made me aware of the… _encounter_ down by the river yesterday. Now, both Morgana’s assumption as well as my own is that you were acting on your desire for revenge against her and that had she not shown up, you would not have attacked. Is this true?”

Arthur pressed his lips together as an awkward air fell over the table and he picked at the salad on his plate.

“Yes,” Gwaine said, “This is true.”

Merlin nodded as he pursed his lips.

“And what of magic in general?” he asked, looking to the knights and then to Arthur as well. “What are your thoughts and feelings on that topic?”

Another wave of silence fell over them.

“For me…” Arthur began after the quiet became unbearable, and everyone turned to look at him. Arthur looked at Merlin though, keeping hold of those blue eyes as he spoke. “I did not really think much about it before. I did not entirely agree with my father, but all I’d ever seen was evil, and all I’d ever heard was what my father had experienced. But after you… after hearing all the stories from Gauis about what you did and sacrificed… I believe that it is the person who determines the good or the evil inside them, not the fact that they have magic.”

The smiles that came to both Merlin and Morgana’s faces were so bright and happy that Arthur began to a feel a little awkward about his words. Thankfully, they didn’t spend too much time looking at him, for they then turned to look at the knights.

“And the rest of you?” Merlin asked, and Arthur prayed that his men felt the same way.

“I grew up in Camelot,” Leon suddenly said, his eyes never leaving his plate. “My father took part in The Great Purge and was proud of that fact. I suppose I am much like Arthur- for I did not think much of what magic was, and simply based my opinion on the stories I had heard.” It was then that Leon looked up, his eyes first going to Lancelot, then to Morgana and finally to Merlin. “I do not have the greatest view of magic or those who possess it. I am prejudice in many cases, as shown by my behavior during my time in Fae’Lin, but… what I do know is that I always considered you a great man Merlin- and learning you had magic never changed that opinion. So, perhaps it is I that needs to do some changing.”

“Change is inevitable,” Merlin said, his voice soft, “Everyone you ever meet will at many times in their lives have to change something about themselves- a belief, an opinion, a prejudice. Many people within the magic community have had to learn the same things you wish to learn, but for those who do not possess magic. I applaud you Leon not just for honesty about needing to change, but for your willingness to do so.”

Leon nodded, smiling softly, before taking a big drink from his wince glass, which a servant who was standing off to the side immediately came up to refill.

“I can’t really speak for all of us, but I think a lot of us are the same as Leon,” Gwaine said, clapping his friend on the back before turning to Merlin. “We have a lot of misconceptions about magic and those who practice it that could use some… reworking if you’d be willing to do.”

“Happily!” Merlin said, “Right Morgana?”

She smiled and nodded her head, at which point she let out a heavy sigh before turning to look down the table at the knights.

“I owe each and every one of you an apology,” she said, and watched the confusion and skepticism play on their faces. “Change is never easy, but it easier with help. Merlin helped me to see that there was a better way to bring my people together without harming others, and I am glad that he did. But that does not change the damage or the pain that I caused all of you and for that I am truly sorry.”

Once more silence filled the room as all the knights stared at Morgana with looks of both shock and apprehension, but slowly small smiles came to their faces.

“I don’t believe that any of us wished to your enemy Morgana, but I will also state that trusting you will take a little time,” Gwaine said, but he also stood up and stepped away from the table, waking around it to stand just a little ways away from Morgana, where he then bowed at the waist to her. “However, I believe that an apology is required from us as well. Clearly, we should not have acted without knowledge or understanding when we saw you down by the river, and I truly look forward to coming to understand this new Morgana.” 

Arthur looked to his sister, who he was truly starting to see as his sister and found that a smile was upon her face and her eyes were sparkling. Gwaine then nodded, returning to his seat, and the other knights and men made noises of agreement with Gwaine’s statement.

“Well, this has been a productive day so far,” Merlin said, drawing everyone’s eyes once more.

“We haven’t even decided what we are going to do about my father yet,” Arthur stated, and Merlin nodded.

“Well, we both know that _we_ don’t want a war between our nations, and I believe that that is a good start,” Merlin said, picking at the bird on his plate, “As for the rest, I believe that it can be decided in a more… structured meeting.”

“What do you mean?” Arthur asked and Merlin smiled at him.

“Your father may act without the approval of his council, but I do not. Any further steps we take on this particular issue will be decided on with the assistance of my council.”

“You mean the council that tried to kill me when I arrived?” Arthur demanded.

“That was just Abraham, I guarantee that the rest of the council will be more welcoming.” Morgana said, looking at Arthur with understanding and apology as she reached for her goblet. “Besides, Merlin sent Abraham to visit the Druid villages to see who will be coming to the Summer Solstice festival.”

Suddenly Morgana’s eyes lit up and she placed her hand on Merlin’s arm, to which he turned to her as though suddenly startled, a questioning look on his face.

“Well, of course they are!” Merlin stated and then turned to Arthur, “You are planning on staying for the festival?”

Arthur chuckled slightly but quickly stopping and hide the laughter behind a cough when he saw the serious look in Merlin’s eyes.

“Well, we were not aware that the event was happening,” he stated and then turned to his knights, “But… I suppose if we have enough time, we could…”

“Oh, you must stay Arthur!” Morgana enthused, “The Summer Solstice festival would be a great opportunity for all of you to see what the magic community is truly about.”

“Besides, with all preparations going on for it, getting a meeting with the council and coming to an arrangement might take a long time.” Merlin said and then pursed his lips as he looked down the table, “Also, where does Uther think you are? If you do not mind me asking that is?”

This time it was the knights who were laughing slightly as Arthur ground his teeth together.

“My father sent me on a _quest for understanding_ after blowing up at him during his last council meeting.” Arthur stated and Merlin just managed to suppress a laugh.

“Well, I may be forward in saying this, but I believe that you came to the right place.” He replied and then slowly the conversation turned to more casual topics. Occasionally Merlin would answer a question about magic or his Kingdom, and he dodged a few more pointed if not completely obvious questions from Gwaine and Percival about his and Morgana’s relationship, but for the most part, the talk was simple and friendly and made the weight upon Arthur’s chest a little lighter, if only a little. Turned out that while Fae’Lin had a way of making Arthur feel like he didn’t need to pretend either, it didn’t diminish his worries, and he wasn’t sure how much time he had to wait for a solution.

* * * *

By the time night fall came Merlin was completely exhausted. He walked down the halls, following behind Morgana and Lancelot, trying to focus on their conversation to keep his mind from wandering, but not much success was found. He couldn’t stop himself from thinking about the day he’d had- from leaving the mountain range and the company of the dragons the night prior, to arriving back in Fae’Lin and his reunion with Morgana, and finally, the reuniting with Arthur. It was odd to say that while he felt like a piece of himself had been given back to him- no doubt from being brought back to his destiny, or at least a part of it, he also felt uneasy about the whole thing. He glanced up, his eyes landing on Morgana’s smiling face as she and Lancelot continued to go back and forth about the events during dinner, and he began to realize exactly why he felt so uneasy.

“Well, here we are!” Lancelot said as they came to a stop outside the doors of their bedchamber. “I wish you both a peaceful night, and I will see you in the morning.”

“Thank you, Lancelot,” Merlin said, stepping forward and hugging his friend. “We could have done none of this without you.” 

“Of course, you could have,” Lancelot said as he returned the hug, “You just would have had less fun.” 

Merlin laughed as they pulled away and then headed into the room. Morgana smiled at Lancelot before following Merlin in and closing the door. A sense of relief filled her as she heard the familiar click, for through she had been happy with the course of events, Morgana was more than happy to not have to deal with the all the questions and staring anymore.

“I think that that went well,” she said as she moved towards the side of the room with the wardrobe and began to pull at the strings on the back of the dress.

“Yes, definitely better than I thought it would,” Merlin replied as he came up behind her and began to help her undress. His movement we quick and steady, and as the fabric loosened, he placed his hands on her shoulders, pushing the rest dress away and letting it fall to floor. Morgana stayed like that as Merlin’s hands moved from her shoulders down her arms, and his lips pressed against her neck. He slowly removed the under tunic, leaving only the chemise.

“Were you truly expecting a bad reaction?” she asked, trying to keep her breathing even as her heart began to race. How Merlin was still able to illicit such a reaction out of her, she wasn’t sure, but Morgana absolutely loved it. Even now, as Merlin let out a deep chuckle against her skin in response to her question, she felt a ripple of desire run through her, so she turned to face him, meeting those blue eyes and finding the same desire reflected in them.

Morgana moved without thinking, placing her hands on his chest and letting them move up so as to push off the coat he was wearing, while at the same time, Merlin removed his belt, letting it and the sword fall to the floor with a clatter. Morgana then leaned forward, kissing him deeply as Merlin’s hands began to move across her back and waist, at which point he then picked her up, holding her close as he walked the few steps over to the bed, where he let her fall against the blankets and pillows.

Morgana laughed as she watched Merlin remove his boots and then his shirt, while she moved herself to the more center point of the bed, removing her stockings as she did so, only then to smile at Merlin as he climbed onto the bed and positioned himself over her. While balancing on one arm, he took his other hand to gently caress her face, his eyes going over her with a look that was full of love and wanting.

“Have I ever told you how happy I am that you said yes?” he whispered to her and Morgana’s smile grew bigger. She pushed herself up, so she was sitting, at which she took his face in her hands, pulling it close to kiss his forehead, and then his cheeks and finally his lips.

“Have I ever told you how happy I am that you finally asked?” she whispered, and Merlin chuckled again before kissing her more passionately, and she didn’t resist. They had been together for three years, married for two, and she hoped that moments like these never stopped being this amazing. There was no thought of how or why, just simply the moment of loving each other. They moved with a harmony and rhythm that to them was nothing but magical and left them feeling higher than any spell could possibly attain.

Morgana broke away, falling to the bed next to Merlin, breathing heavily as she snuggled in closer to his chest. His breathing was just as heavy as hers, but as he wrapped his arms around her, the small laughter of pure joy leaving his lips, she laughed as well, kissing his chest and letting her eyes close as a peaceful sleep fell over her.

* * * *

Morgana woke up with a start, sitting straight up and gasping for air.

“What is it?” Merlin demanded, sitting up and looking around in a daze. He turned and saw Morgana sitting there, eyes wide and still glowing gold as she stared blankly ahead. Merlin moved quickly, grabbing his trousers and pulling them on before moving around the bed and picking Morgana up in his arms and walking them over to the fire. It had been a long time since her last vision, but he knew despite the sweat that covered her skin, she was always cold when she came to- it was one reason they kept so many cushions and furs near the fireplace. He ran back to the room and opened the wardrobe, grabbing one of his shirts before coming back to the fire where he quickly pulled it over Morgana, covering her chest and giving her a little more warmth. He looked to the fire and whispered a few words, and it quickly became bigger, providing more heat. Merlin then turned and headed for the door, opening it and looking around.

“Your majesty?” said one of the guards as they came to attention. “Is everything alright?”

“Yes,” he said, though even to him he could hear the shaking in his voice. “The queen is having another vision. Please go and fetch fresh water for a bath, as well as a pitcher of wine and some food form the kitchen.”

“We will go now my king!” he replied, turning and heading off while the other paused.

“Would you like me to alert anyone sire?” he asked, and Merlin sighed heavily. Morgana wouldn’t like everyone knowing, but there were some who needed to be told.

“Please let Lancelot know what is happening. Tell him I said not to come, but to make sure the council knows,” Merlin stated and then paused. “Also have him alert Arthur as well.”

Merlin watched the confusion pass over the guard’s face, but it was only for a moment before and he bowed and headed off after the other.

Merlin went back into the room and knelt in front of Morgana, placing his hands on either side of her face as he looked into the eyes that were still glowing while at the same time, not focusing on anything within the room. It was several more minutes of this, watching and waiting, pushing the damp hair from her face. It was when he began to pace the length of the table that he heard a gasp of air and turned to see the gold leave Morgana’s eyes as she blinked, tears beginning to fall.

“What-no- I can’t- no!” she began to shout, her head turning in all directions as her breathing became faster. The fire began to spark, shooting out embers from the wood and the windows began to rattle in their frames.

“Morgana!” Merlin called, coming to her side and grabbing her shoulders, turning her so that she would look at him. When her eyes finally locked with his he smiled softly.

“Mer…lin?” she whispered, her voice cracking slightly and sounding like she’d been shouting for days.

“Yes, my love, it’s me.” he said, relaxing his hands on her shoulders, but still keeping them there. She looked around again.

“What- where-”

“You’re in Fae’Lin. In the castle, in our room. You are safe!” he said and watched as some of the fear left her eyes.

“What… happened?”

“You had a vision,” he whispered and felt her tense under her hands.

“Yes… that… I remembered now,” she whispered and then fell forward against Merlin’s chest. He held her like that for a few minutes before pulling away to look in her eyes.

“What did you see?” he asked, and she shook her head.

“Please Morgana, tell me about it,” he whispered.

“It was nothing Merlin,” she said, turning to look at the fire.

“Morgana?” he said firmly, his voice rising in volume slightly, but when she looked at him, she saw nothing but concern.

“I… I do not know, there was so much,” she whispered, and Merlin turned his head to the side before moving to pull her into a hug once more, at which point the tears began to fall more freely from Morgana’s eyes, hitting Merlin’s chest like boulders.

“Everything will be fine,” he whispered, and Morgana shook her head, her face rubbing against Merlin’s skin.

“I do not think it will Merlin. Uther… he is so angry, and if we do not do something-” her words cut off as the images of battles flashed through her mind and she hide her face against Merlin’s shoulder, causing both of them to fall against the cushions as her body began to shake. Merlin grabbed one of the furs and wrapped it around her, rubbing his hand up and down her back as he watched the images flash through her mind. Merlin watched as the sky turned dark, and men and women cried out in fear as magic and weapon injured and destroyed. Great fires blasted from the skies as dragons flew overhead, and lands turned to ash. He watched as Arthur fought against his father, and then in flash, it would be Merlin fighting Uther, and then in another it would be Merlin holding Morgana’s dead body. Eventually Merlin found himself closing his eyes as the tears slid silently down his face, all in the hopes of not seeing the images of death, but it was no use. They continued to come, and as Morgana remembered the end, the vision became more clouded, switching between different endings- some with Uther lying dead and some with Morgana or Lancelot or even the dragons, and others with Arthur lying dead. However, all the endings had someone dying while Merlin remained, standing in an ash covered field as his eyes glowed gold with anger.

“How strange,” Merlin whispered, not trusting his voice and not wanting to think about his immortality. “Seems that more than just our decision matters on this one.”

Morgana shook her head and after taking an unsteady breath she pulled away to look at him.

“No… our decision matters the most,” she whispered, and Merlin reached up the wipe her face.

“Thank you for showing me,” he whispered, “But you and I both know that you are the only one who can understand it.”

Morgana scoffed but nodded.

“What I know is this; Arthur is right and Uther wants Fae’Lin gone and given the right motivation, he will resort to war, but… the outcome is dependent on so many decisions from so many people that… it is hard to say how it would end.”

“And why does this hinge on us… what decision do we have to make?” he asked.

“About what we will do with Camelot and Uther and the information Arthur has brought to us,” she answered, and Merlin pressed his lips together.

“Did you see any ending where someone doesn’t die?” Merin asked hesitantly and the mournful look on Morgana’s face said it all.

“What do we do?” he asked.

“It’s hard to say because it feels like a war of some sort is bound to happen, but… We have to find a way to make Arthur’s idea of peace work, or… one of the outcomes I saw will happen.”

Merlin let out a breath as he turned to look at the fire, wondering how his peaceful and prospering nation could go to so much chaos in just a few days. He then looked at Morgana from the corner of his eye to find her massaging the sides of her head, the thought of why he’d been uneasy came back to him. It had been a long time since Morgana’s last vision, since before the frost had vanished. Merlin had been tempted at that time to go and find Arthur but had decided against it- favoring the idea of Arthur finding him instead. But the thought of reuniting and going back to his old life had been on his mind since that moment.

“Morgana… does this vision- this decision… does it have anything to do with my destiny?” Merlin said, and Morgana opened her eyes to look at him.

“The one that brought you to Arthur?” she asked, and he nodded.

Morgana pursed her lips as she looked at the fire, thinking it over.

“I believe it is related, but… more in a larger view.” She said, turning to look at him. “Why? Are you still wondering about how it all fits after what Uther did?”

“Yes,” he stated, turning to look at the fire as well, worried about what he might see in her eyes. “I feel that being at Arthur’s side, helping him, is where I am meant to be.”

“Well, of course it is,” Morgana said, and Merlin looked at her with surprise, to which she smiled slightly. “It is as Kilgarrah said in the beginning, you are two sides of the same coin. It makes sense that being by each other’s side is where you would feel most at home.”

“And… if I were to go back to that… to being his…”

“Servant?” Morgana asked a little skeptically and Merlin shook his head.

“His aid… what would you think of that?” he asked, and Morgana pressed her lips together as she pulled the fur more tightly around her shoulders.

“I would be fine with that,” she said, “After all, that’s what this was all about anyway.”

Merlin shook his head before leaning forward and kissing her.

“And what do you see of the future if that were to happen?” he asked and Morgana closed her eyes, leaning her forehead against his as she thought.

“There are still too many decisions involved to really see, but what I feel is that… while complicated at this time, that would most likely lead to the best outcome,” she said, her eyes opening and turning to him. “Do you think you _could_ go back to being Arthur’s aid?”

Merlin shrugged.

“It would be a difficult change, but you know as well as I do that I never wanted to be a King,” he replied and Morgana laughed.

“You are very good at it though,” she said, and he scoffed slightly.

“It was not meant to be my place,” he said, and Morgana nodded before moving to lay against his chest once more.

“In the end, I do not care where you choose to go, so long as you take me with you,” she whispered, letting her fingers trace one of the long scars across Merlin’s stomach.

“As if I would ever leave you behind,” Merlin replied, kissing the top of her head as he laid back. Soon enough, the effects from the vision caused Morgana to fall asleep, and Merlin began to play with her long hair, intending to stay there until someone came with the water and food, but a knock sounding on the door caused Merlin to groan.

He slowly made his way out from under Morgana and chuckled softly to himself as she snuggled against the furs and cushions. He grabbed the fur and placed it more evenly over Morgana’s body, covering her legs and softly brushed some hair from her face as another knock sounded against the door, this one louder and Merlin flinched as Morgana stirred slightly but thankfully stayed asleep.

With a shake of his head, Merlin stood up and walked to the door, opening it quickly and stepping out into the hall before closing it and turning to see who was bothering them.

“Arthur?” Merlin said with surprise as he saw the prince standing there in trousers and a cotton shirt. Merlin then noticed Lancelot leaning against the wall behind him breathing heavily. “I thought I told the guard to tell you _not_ to come?”

“Sorry Merlin… Arthur insisted.” Lancelot said and Merlin turned to look at Arthur.

“And what makes you think you have the right to insist that?” Merlin demanded, feeling annoyed and wanting to know Arthur’s motives. However, when Arthur didn’t respond yet simply kept staring at Merlin, he began to feel more uncomfortable than annoyed.

“Arthur… what is wrong?” Merlin asked, looking more closely at the prince until Arthur’s eyes finally focused on him, and the look he gave Merlin was no less unsettling.

“What happened to you?” Arthur suddenly asked, his voice sounding so young and concerned that it made Merlin worried for a moment, until he realized exactly what Arthur was staring at.

Looking down at his exposed chest, even in the limited torch light, Merlin could see the scars covering his body. He had long lines from swords and daggers that laid about his shoulders and ribs in random arrays, the results of the fights he’d been in, some from when he’d served Arthur but majority from after. Across his left shoulder was the rather mangled looking scar he’d received from bandits while protecting Arthur, as well as the wound above his right hip from a stray arrow. On his upper left arm was a deep burn mark, received shortly after joining Morgana and when he’d taken on too much and been left weak while facing some opponents. Then there was the rope burns about his wrists and the burned lines of metal from manacles. Merlin looked up and back into Arthur’s eyes and pressed his lips together before shaking his head.

“A lot has happened,” he replied and then opened the door once more. “Let us talk in here but be quiet- Morgana is asleep.”

Arthur hesitated slightly before feeling Lancelot push him forward, after which he entered of his own accord.

“I will stay out here and wait for the food and water requested,” Lancelot said, and Merlin nodded before closing the door. As he walked back into the room, he found Arthur standing by the table staring down at Morgana.

“Will she be alright?” Arthur asked.

“Yes, though she will be tired for the next few days, this vision was more intense than some of the other’s she’s had.” He said, as he walked back over to his wardrobe to grab a shirt. Arthur turned in time to see the scars across his back, which appeared to be more sword and knife wounds, along with what looked like lines from a whip. A rather nasty looking scar that went down his spine, starting from the point between his shoulder blades and going to the small of his back stood out prominently against Merlin’s pale skin. It all looked painful and horrifying, but what caught Arthur’s attention the most was the almost puncture like wound on Merlin’s shoulder. It looked almost fresh, the skin still having a sickly purple-blackish color to it, and the veins around branching out like dark spider webs.

Arthur was only able to look away once the shirt was pulled over, covering the battered skin. He looked at Merlin’s face only to see the scar across it as well, and he wondered if there was any part of his friend that hadn’t been damaged because of what his father had done, for even as this thought went through Arthur’s head, he looked to Merlin’s neck, and the scar that was there and felt as though he might turn over sick.

“Arthur?” Merlin said, and the prince looked up to Merlin’s face and watched as more concern etched into his features.

“I… I am sorry, I do not mean to stare,” Arthur said, bowing his head.

“You do not need to be sorry Arthur,” Merlin replied, and then looked back to where Morgana lay, before gesturing for Arthur to follow before heading back toward the bedroom. Arthur tailed behind Merlin out through a set of doors that lead to a small balcony overlooking part of the city and the forest beyond.

Arthur watched as Merlin jumped up to sit on the ledge and looked out over the city. Walking forward, he leaned against the cold stone as he tried to follow Merlin’s gaze, but since he wasn’t sure what he was looking at, it was a little hard. The sky was just starting to turn from a dark blue to a lighter shade, the more purple and pink light brightest on the horizon as the sun climbed higher.

“Are you certain Morgana will be alright?” Arthur asked and Merlin sighed heavily beside him, drawing his attention. It was clear the vision had taken Merlin by surprise, for he still looked tired and his hair was a mess about his head. 

“She will be fine,” Merlin said, turning to look at Arthur. “She will not be happy you saw her in such a state, but she will be fine.”

“I am sorry for coming when you said not to, I simply wanted to offer help, and…” Arthur’s voice died out as he looked back out over the city. “I want to be more understanding- I did not know of her magic until her betrayal, and that did not help my view of it.”

“You are wanting to make up for that,” Merlin surmised, and Arthur nodded.

“If she will let me, yes.”

Merlin smiled.

“Truthfully Arthur, Morgana has wanted nothing more than to be accepted by you,” he replied.

Arthur sighed, realizing that while it was the truth, it was not the truth he wanted to hear.

“I am glad that you came despite being told not to,” Merlin said suddenly, “Makes having to find you and tell you about what Morgana saw less of a hassle.”

Arthur glanced over to Merlin.

“You were planning on telling me what she saw?” he asked, and Merlin smiled.

“Certainly,” he replied. “Did you think that I wouldn’t?”

Arthur shrugged.

“I do not see why you would bother,” he stated, turning to look back over the city.

“Considering that you are a part of the vision, it would only be fair of me to tell what she saw,” Merlin stated, and Arthur stood up straighter.

“I was in the vision?” he demanded, and Merlin nodded.

“It would appear that this decision about your father needs more immediate attention than anticipated,” Merlin said with a heavy sigh as he looked back out over the kingdom. “What Morgana saw is war Arthur. A lot of war and a lot of death that could come to pass should this decision not be made correctly.”

“How much time do we have?” Arthur asked

“That is unclear, but I do not want to put this off and risk one of those futures,” Merlin said, and Arthur watched a chill run through his body.

“What do we do?” Arthur asked.

“I need to know more about what has been happening in Camelot. During our conversations yesterday you mentioned how Uther was not foolish enough to go to war, but Morgana’s vision makes it clear that he is still considering the idea.” Merlin then looked at Arthur again. “Do you believe there is a way to stop your father?”

“That is what I am here hoping to do,” Arthur stated, feeling annoyed. He’d come here for help, and sure, he hadn’t intended to have Merlin and Morgana be that help, but he didn’t have any answers so why were they asking for them?

Merlin chuckled drawing Arthur’s eyes back up.

“We keep asking you Arthur because he is your father,” Merlin stated and then pressed his lips together as Arthur’s mouth fell open slightly.

“Hold on… can you… did you… did you hear my thoughts?” Arthur demanded and Merlin nodded.

“Yes, I did. I’ve been hearing them all day in fact,” he stated. “Truthfully, Morgana and I communicate through thought more than through speaking these days.”

“How?” Arthur demanded and Merlin snorted.

“How do you think?”

_Magic_ , Arthur thought, and Merlin nodded his head.

“Precisely. But do not worry, it is only when you are in close proximity to me… or any magic user with ability.”

“So, everyone in the kingdom?” Arthur demanded and Merlin shook his head.

“More like… a little less than half the castle,” he replied and then turned his head to the side. “But Arthur, we keep asking you how you want to deal with Uther because despite who is and what he has done, he is your father. Ultimately, you are the one who has the most say in what happens to him.”

“He is also Morgana’s father,” Arthur deflected back, and Merlin nodded.

“True, and-” Merlin suddenly stopped, and Arthur watched as a look of at first confusion followed by horror came over his face.

“Merlin?” he muttered, and his friend turned to him.

“My apologies… I simply realized in this moment that Uther being Morgana’s father now makes him _my_ father in law.”

Arthur stood there for a moment as this realization fell on him as well before he began to laugh. Merlin’s face of shock and horror turned as he too began to laugh, at which point he leaned too far back, nearly losing his balance over the railing. Arthur reacted instantly, reaching out and grabbing his shirt before pulling him back onto the balcony, where they both fell against the ground, the laughter continuing.

“You know Merlin, I wonder if my father will be more horrified than you when he learns that,” Arthur gasped out, staring up the sky that was now a brighter blue.

“If he finds out that is,” Merlin muttered.

“You will have to talk to him eventually if this peace treaty is to happen,” Arthur stated, and Merlin scoffed.

“And all of that can be avoided with a well-placed arrow or spell.”

“Merlin!” Arthur snapped, turning to look at him, but his smile was playful as he moved to place his hands behind his head.

“Calm down Arthur!” Merlin said, “I have no intention of killing your father.”

Arthur let out a breath as he looked back up to the sky.

“Honestly Merlin… not only do I believe no one would blame you, but at this point… I do not think anyone would stop you either.” 

There was silence for a moment after Arthur’s words and they simply stayed there and watched the sky turn to that warm pink morning glow.

“What do you want to happen with your father Arthur?” Merlin asked, “because the way that I see it, he isn’t going to let his hatred of my people go by us simply asking him to.”

“I know,” Arthur muttered. “Perhaps you are right and… and an arrow is the only way.”

Merlin sat up then with a small groan and turned so that he was leaning against the wall.

“You know… I stopped you once before from killing your father, do you remember that?” Merlin stated. “It was after the conversation you had with Morgause, and what she told you of your mother.”

Arthur frowned as he looked at Merlin.

“Yes, I remember that. You told me that she had lied,” Arthur stated and as he watched Merlin press his lips together, and the sad look come into his eyes, Arthur sat up and faced Merlin more fully. “Merlin… was _that_ a lie?”

“I could not let you kill your father!” Merlin stated, his voice firm and sure despite the sadness etched into it. “Despite how much I knew that having Uther gone would help my people, I knew that if you were to kill your father in that way… it would have destroyed you.”

Arthur blinked.

“But… then what Morgause said-”

“Was said to manipulate you into killing Uther out of anger,” Merlin said, and shook his head. “Truthfully I do not know if what you saw that day was true or not. It felt real, and perhaps it is, but I do not know. All I knew was that I couldn’t let you go through with killing Uther in that manner, and I cannot let you do the same now.” 

Arthur let out a breath as he fell back against the stone, letting this new information swirl in his head.

“Are you saying… that you did it to protect me?” Arthur asked as he looked back up and met those sapphire eyes, which smiled at him.

“That is what I have always done Arthur. It is what I was born to do.”

“You can not be serious Merlin!” Arthur demanded. “You are the most powerful man I have ever met! You are the King of Fae’Lin and the leader of the Druids and-”

“And I would give it all up to serve beside once more!” Merlin stated. “It is my destiny Arthur, just as ruling Camelot and uniting the land of Albion is yours.”

“Your destiny cannot be to _serve_ someone else your entire life. You’re too powerful for something that…. Mundane.” Arthur muttered and Merlin laughed, letting his head roll back against the stone as he once more looked up at the sky.

“Some men are born to plow fields, some live to be great physicians, others to be great kings,” Merlin said, his voice taking on a wise and knowing tone. Merlin’s head then rolled to the side, his eyes piercing Arthur. “I was born to serve you Arthur, and I’m proud of that.”

“And what of Fae’Lin?” Arthur asked after a moment of silence.

“It is a part of the land of Albion, so will be given to you when the time comes.” Merlin said and Arthur shook his head.

“You would just give me your kingdom?” Arthur demanded and Merlin smiled.

“It was all made for you anyway,” he replied and then pushed himself to his feet, offering his hand to Arthur. “That is… if you accept it.”

Arthur shook his head but took Merlin’s hand, letting him be pulled to his feet.

“My father is not going to like that.” Arthur stated and Merlin nodded, turning and squinting into the sun as it finally peeked its way over the horizon before turning back to Arthur.

“Then perhaps we shouldn’t let him have a say,” Merlin replied and then gestured back towards the room. Arthur shook his head once more and pulled Merlin into another hug, startling the warlock slightly before they embraced fully.


End file.
